Continuing Education Requirements - EMR, EMT, AEMT, Paramedic
Vermont EMS practitioner license renewal requirements mirror those of the National Registry of EMTs. Most of Vermont’s EMS practitioners hold a National Registry of EMTs certification and meet Vermont’s continuing education requirements by renewing that certification. Current practitioners who never held NREMT certification must also meet the NREMT renewal requirements and document their training on their Vermont license renewal application.
Course Medical Director Qualifications
Course Medical Director Qualifications
Continuing Education Requirements - Vermont Emergency First Responder
To renew a VEFR certification, a person must maintain their American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED certification (or equivalent) and complete continuing education on the following topics:
- Workforce Safety and Wellness - 2 hours
- EMS System Communications - 1 hour
- Medical/Legal and Ethics - 1 hour
NREMT - National Continued Competency Program
Vermont has used the NREMT’s National Continued Competency Program (NCCP) as its model for continuing education since July 2015. The foundation of this program is continuous quality improvement, lifelong learning and individual self-assessment.
The NCCP started in 2010 when a multi-disciplinary task force consisting of representatives from major regulatory, medical oversight and operational components of EMS met to consider revisions to the NREMT recertification process. The result is a program that evolves over time and allows states, the local EMS community and individual EMS practitioners to choose topics that are most relevant to their educational needs.
There are three components of the National Continued Competency Program. Half of the hours are determined by the NREMT, a quarter are chosen at the State and Local levels and the remaining quarter are chosen by each EMS practitioner based on their interests and self-assessment of educational needs.
The National Registry of EMTs has produced educational guides for each level:
National Requirements of the National Continued Competency Program
The national requirement topics of the National Continued Competency Program are selected by the National Registry of EMTs based on input from EMS researchers, physicians and practitioner stakeholders and are updated every five years. Topics are chosen from evidence-based medicine and scientific position papers aimed at improving patient care, particularly tasks with low frequency but high criticality.
State/Local Requirements of the National Continued Competency Program
A portion of Vermont’s state and local requirement topics are determined by the EMS office based on state-specific training needs. The remaining hours are determined at the district and/or agency level.
Individual Requirements of the National Continued Competency Program
The remaining portion of each EMS practitioner’s continuing education is determined by the practitioner based on their own areas of interest or possible weakness. Any training that relates to the clinical or operational functions of an EMS practitioner at their license level qualifies for continuing education in this section.
The Statewide EMS Protocols represent the work of all 13 District Medical Advisors, numerous stakeholder groups and a multitude of EMS practitioners, agencies and districts across the state. Wherever possible, protocol updates have been guided by the most recent and best evidence-based EMS literature.
EMS Protocol Education
2023 Vermont Statewide Emergency Medical Services Protocols
Ready, Check, Inject
The Ready, Check, Inject program provides a simple, safe and cost-effective alternative to epinephrine auto-injectors and allows trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to withdraw epinephrine from a vial and inject the medication intramuscularly. Ready, Check, Inject is not intended to take the place of autoinjectors; epinephrine auto-injectors are still considered the preferred method of medication administration in anaphylaxis.
Equipment Requirements
To administer intramuscular epinephrine at the EMT level, an agency must stock:
- 1 mL vials of 1 mg/1 mL (1:1000) concentration epinephrine
- Larger volume vials and syringes are not allowed at the EMT level
- 1 mL syringes with an accompanying 1-inch intramuscular safety needle
- Ready Check Inject Safety Card
NOTE: Consider separating this specific equipment from other ALS supplies to prevent confusion. Please see the equipment checklist for the complete list of required items.
Training and Credentialing
EMS agencies must credential their EMT level providers to use the new protocol using a two-step process. Providers will watch a narrated Power Point on CentreLearn (individually or as a class) and then complete an agency-led practical training session overseen by the agency’s or district’s training coordinator. Competency must be confirmed by a licensed practitioner at the AEMT or Paramedic level using the skill sheet included in the training program. Documentation of training and competency verification should be kept on file by the agency.
Rapid Sequence Intubation
Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) is an advanced airway skill only available to Paramedics with additional training, medical direction oversight and participation in an educational and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program approved by the Department of Health.
For more information about RSI, contact EMS Medical Director Dr. Dan Wolfson.
Training Officer Resources
VT EMS Agency Level Training Officer Guidance Document
Opioid Overdose for EMS Training
Naloxone can reverse an overdose caused by an opioid drug (such as prescription pain medication or heroin). When administered during an overdose, naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing within two to eight minutes. Naloxone has been used safely by medical professionals for more than 40 years to reverse the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system in order to prevent death.The Good Samaritan Law provides some legal protection to anyone who gives naloxone or calls 9-1-1 in an overdose situation.
Get Naloxone
The Health Department provides naloxone (Narcan® nasal spray) and training through collaborations with community-based organizations. These partners distribute naloxone and provide overdose response training, opioid misuse prevention training and referrals to treatment across Vermont.
Standing Order
A standing order from the Commissioner of Health has been in effect since August 2016. The standing order allows any pharmacy to sell naloxone to any person who wants to have it, without a prescription. The order allows insurers and Medicaid to cover the cost so people do not have to pay out of pocket. The current order is effective through August 2027.
Standing Order for Distribution of Naloxone
This law allows health care professionals acting in good faith to prescribe, dispense and distribute an opioid antagonist to a person who is at risk of overdose – or to a family member, friend or other person in a position to help – so long as the recipient of the opioid antagonist has completed a prevention and treatment training program approved by the Vermont Department of Health. Unless acting recklessly, with gross negligence or intentional misconduct, a health professional who prescribes, dispenses or distributes an opioid antagoinist under this section shall be immune from civil or criminal liability, regardless of whether the opioid antagonist was administered by or to the person for whom it was provided.
IF SOMEONE IS OVERDOSING, GIVE NALOXONE AND CALL 9-1-1
Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator
A Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC), also known as a “Pediatric Champion”, is a proven strategy for improving emergency care for children. These are dedicated individuals who coordinate pediatric activities and advocate for some of our most vulnerable patients. Having a PECC in emergency departments is one of the strongest drivers of improved pediatric outcomes. While prehospital research is ongoing, it is expected that PECCs in EMS agencies have a similar impact.
To learn more about the role of a PECC and how to become one, please click on the links below:
Pediatric Readiness
For more than 10 years, Vermont's Emergency Medical Services for Children program has worked with families, local emergency responders, hospital and community organizations throughout the state to improve emergency care of our children through education, system development and research.
EMS for Children Case Reviews
Vermont EMS for Children holds monthly pediatric case reviews for prehospital practitioners featuring EMS incidents from across the state. The Zoom link and the topics of the cases are sent to EMS practitioners in advance. Cases are recorded and uploaded to Vector for those unable to attend the live session. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions or interesting pediatric cases to be reviewed.
Pediatric Education
The EMS for Children (EMSC) program works with state and local services to increase educational opportunities for emergency providers to improve their abilities to treat ill and injured children. The program has supported Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP) and ensures pediatric topics are presented at the annual EMS conference.
Find a class:
Vermont Pediatric Safe Program
The Pediatric Safe Program is designed to recognize the commitment of agencies that are improving pediatric emergency care. This voluntary, statewide initiative recognizes Vermont EMS agencies that go beyond basic requirements to provide excellent care to your community’s children.
Hospital Pediatric Readiness
Children have unique physiological, emotional, and developmental characteristics that require specialized emergency care. That’s why it’s important for emergency departments to be pediatric ready. The National Pediatric Readiness Assessment (NPRP) is a tool EDs can use to measure the level of pediatric readiness and to aid in identifying gaps that may exist in preparation to provide pediatric emergency care. High pediatric readiness – or having pediatric champions, policies, equipment, resources, and competencies required to provide effective pediatric emergency care – is associated with a four-fold lower rate of mortality in children.
To learn more about pediatric readiness in the emergency department setting, including Vermont’s Always Ready for Children pediatric recognition program for hospitals, please click on the links below or contact [email protected].
Resources for High Consequence Pathogens
Vermont EMS has played an active role in combatting high-consequence pathogens.Below are some resources to assist you and your agency during high consequence outbreak responses.
Mpox & EMS Information
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are tracking multiple cases of Mpox reported in several countries that don’t normally report the virus, including the United States and Canada. Mpox belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae, which also includes smallpox and cowpox viruses. Learn more about the Health Department's mpox response efforts.
EMS providers should be prepared to respond. Please review the documents below on how to prepare and respond.
