Emergency Medical Responder

Are you looking for a career where you're called upon to help others in their time of need? NAIT's Emergency Medical Responder program gives you the hands-on training you need to provide emergency medical services to the sick and injured.

This program will give you the abilities, essential skills, and confidence to provide basic first-on-scene emergency care to patients before and after Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrives.

Launch your career in a regulated health profession and become a trusted first responder, delivering compassionate, life-saving care in your community.

Quick Facts 

• Credential: Certificate of Achievement
• Campus: Main Campus
• Delivery Modes and Times: Varies by class section.  See section details for delivery mode and detailed schedule

Program Progression

The following program overview shows the recommended progression for students to complete the program as efficiently as possible.  Although students have some flexibility in timing for courses that don't have any prerequisite course (e.g., Alberta Paramedicine Driver Operator Course - EMRE400), we recommended sticking to this pathway as much as possible to avoid any delays in your program progression.  

Prerequisite Courses

• ITMS100 Medical Terminology (prerequisite for EMRE200)
• EMRE160 Introductory Law for Prehospital Professionals
• OHSC160 Health & Safety Orientation

Note: Completing ITMS100 is the only requirement to enroll in EMRE200, so you can take EMRE160 and OHSC160 at the same time as EMRE200 if necessary.

Core EMR Courses

• EMRE200 Emergency Medical Responder - Core Medical
  • Note: You must complete EMRE200 before you can continue your progression into EMRE300 and earn your certificate.
• EMRE300 Emergency Medical Responder Patient Engagement
• EMRE400 EMR - APDOC (Alberta Paramedicine Driver Operator Course)

As mentioned above, EMRE400 doesn't have any prerequisites, so you can take it at any time in any semester if necessary.  Generally, students complete it toward the end of the program after completing their 100- and 200- level courses.  The Alberta Paramedicine Driver Operator Course (APDOC) must be completed through the EMR program at NAIT - external credentials will not be accepted toward your certificate.

After completing your coursework:

Registering with the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACP)

All people wishing to practice paramedicine must be registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics.  To learn more information about registering with the College, please find the information on their website.  Please note, you must have fully completed your program prior to applying to register.  Register to Alberta College of Paramedics here.

Taking your registration exam with the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators

Your registration examination is facilitated through the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators (COPR).  You can find the information about the examination process as well as the examination dates and deadlines on their website.  Review the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators application and exam process here.  

FAQ