The Vermont EMS LIGHTS database is an online EMS license management system built by ImageTrend, the creators of the Vermont SIREN incident reporting system. Its web-based functionality replaces paper applications and allows users to apply for and manage agency and personnel licenses, enroll in EMS courses and exam sites, update demographic information, and look up licensing records.
To render patient care within Vermont's EMS system, or instruct an EMS course, a person must hold a current state EMS license or certification.
In Vermont, all initial EMS personnel licenses are based on certification from the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) and an affiliation with a Vermont-licensed ambulance or first responder agency. A person working at a medical facility providing emergency services may obtain a Vermont EMS personnel license if EMS licensure is a requirement for employment. An instructor is licensed upon completion of training approved by the Vermont Department of Health.
Vermont’s four EMS license levels match the levels of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Scope of Practice Model. They are: Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT (AEMT), and Paramedic. You can find each level’s scope of skills in Appendix 4 of the Vermont Statewide EMS Protocols.
VEFR Certification: In addition to these licenses, a person may obtain a Vermont Emergency First Responder certification. VEFR is an introductory level certification based on the American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED certification, and its scope of practice includes bleeding control, basic cardiac arrest management, administration of naloxone and assistance with an inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector.
License and certification applicants must undergo background screening for criminal convictions, tax and child support liabilities and actions taken on other professional licenses. Applicants for personnel licensure at the EMT level or higher must be at least 18 years old.
If you are interested in taking a course to become a Vermont EMS practitioner, consult the EMS Education Resources page. A person who successfully completes a Vermont-approved EMR, EMT, AEMT or Paramedic course and passes the exam will earn a National Registry of EMTs certification. This NREMT certification must be maintained for the duration of your Vermont EMS career. VEFR certification requires an AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED certification.
Vermont EMS licenses are timed to expire three months after the NREMT expiration date. The VEFR certification is timed to expire on December 31st two years after initial certification. See the Supplemental and Continuing Education section of this website for information on renewal requirements. Please note: We cannot guarantee that renewal applications submitted less than 30 days before your expiration date will be processed before your license expires, and you may not practice with an expired license. Early submission of renewal applications is strongly encouraged.
Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) Endorsement
Interfacility transfer (IFT) requires a unique set of skills distinct from the training of most hospital-based or prehospital providers. It is essential that personnel used to provide care during interfacility transfer be properly trained, familiar with the demands of providing care during ground or air transport, legally authorized to perform these skills, and prepared to handle the variety of patient contingencies that may arise during transport. The overriding principle for all aspects of IFT is matching patient needs with adequate provider knowledge and skills, equipment and infrastructure that provide seamless patient flow during transport.
There are several important procedures and medications vital to the safe interfacility transfer of critically ill or injured patients that are beyond the scope of practice for a Vermont Paramedic for which advanced critical care knowledge and skills will be required. The Health Department, therefore, requires specific additional training for Paramedics to provide extended transport of critically ill or injured patients if their clinical needs exceed those otherwise covered by the VT Statewide EMS protocols.
To obtain the new endorsement, a Vermont Paramedic must complete and maintain either the Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program (CCEMTP) course credential developed by the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), or other similar program approved by the Health Department, OR successfully complete and maintain the Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification (BCCTPC) exam for Critical Care Paramedic Certification (CCP-C), or Flight Paramedic Certification (FP-C).
In addition to providing a course completion certificate or exam certification, the Paramedic will need the endorsement of their District Medical Advisor (DMA) and Head of Service and be affiliated with an EMS agency that has been approved by VT EMS to perform critical care interfacility transfers. On-going credentialing will then be managed at the Agency level with DMA oversight.
Advanced paramedic endorsement
Paramedics that completed critical care training previously in Vermont based on the old scope/curriculum, and operated as such under the old scope, are now called Advanced Paramedics. There is no mechanism in place to bridge an Advanced Paramedic to the Critical Care Paramedic level. To practice as a Vermont Critical Care Paramedic, the CCEMTP course or CCP-P or FP-C exam must be completed. Current Vermont Advanced Paramedics may continue to function at that level with the continued approval and oversight of the District Medical Advisor and agency until December 31, 2023. At that time, their scope of practice will revert to the Paramedic level unless they obtain a Critical Care Paramedic certification and state endorsement.
Personnel License Application Process
- Create or log into your account on the Vermont EMS LIGHTS Public Portal
- Go to Applications in the left-hand navigation menu and select the appropriate application.
Instructor/Coordinator Licenses
Vermont licensed EMS personnel may become eligible for EMS Instructor/Coordinator licensure by:
- Showing evidence of one of the following:
- Successful completion of a 40-hour Vermont Department of Health-sponsored instructor/coordinator course; or
- Successful completion of a public safety instructor/coordinator course approximately 40 hours in length; or
- Successful completion of Modules 1 and 2 of a National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) instructor/coordinator course; or
- A Bachelor’s or higher degree in education; or
- A current Vermont state teacher’s license
- Completing the Vermont EMS Instructor/Coordinator 1-day bridge course sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health (not required for method 1(a) above);
- Participating in a peer-mentored instructional program, including lecture evaluations
- A minimum of 4 hours of peer-mentored observation is required. Additional information will be provided during the I/C Bridge course program.
- Additional hours of observation, coaching and remedial education may be required to ensure competency based on the candidate’s performance evaluations.
- Holding a current Vermont EMS license and affiliation with a Vermont-licensed EMS agency or medical facility that requires you to hold EMS licensure.
Instructor/Coordinator License Application Process
- Log into your account on the Vermont EMS LIGHTS Public Portal
- Go to Applications in the left-hand navigation menu and select Instructor/Coordinator Initial License application.
Challenging the Licensing Exam – RNs, PAs, Military Medics
Registered nurses, physician assistants, hospital corpsmen/medics in the United States Armed Services and veterans who served in these roles may obtain a National Registry certification and a Vermont EMS license at any level without first taking an EMS course when a National Registry Program Director (Vermont Instructor/Coordinator) attests to NREMT that the candidate’s prior training meets the education standards of the desired license level.
Exam Challenge Application Process
- Connect with a Vermont licensed Instructor/Coordinator – your district training coordinator can assist with this. All I/Cs are also National Registry Program Directors, and they will be responsible for verifying to the Registry that you have completed the necessary training to qualify for the exams.
- The I/C will evaluate your prior medical education as compared to the EMS scope of practice, identify any gaps, and then deliver the gap education, if applicable.
After completing this assessment and additional training, create a National Registry account and initiate a certification application. Choose your I/C as your Program Director. The I/C will then verify your “course completion”, and you can register for the National Registry cognitive exam. - For the practical exam, you must complete a Practical Exam Registration Application in the Vermont LIGHTS system. The I/C or the VTEMS website will provide a list of available practical exam sites.
- Upon obtaining your National Registry certification, apply for your Vermont license with the LIGHTS system.