City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

EMS Medic - Field

Under general direction of the EMS Field Commander, this position exercises independent judgment and performs basic medical procedures to access, stabilize, evacuate, and transport patients to an appropriate medical facility.

1. Provides pre-hospital and/or out-of-hospital emergency medical care and rescue in emergent conditions and environments.
2. Provides patient advocacy and interagency teamwork.
3. Assesses patients and performs skills and procedures as defined by the Medical Director.
4. Assists in all active patient rescue activities.
5. Completes appropriate patient care documentation and other reports.
6. Ensures that the vehicle and all items of equipment are stocked, clean, and ready for use.
7. Operates an emergency vehicle including responding to emergency scenes and transporting patients to medical facilities.
8. Attends meetings, seminars, and training sessions.
9. Maintains a strong safety focus and follows safety standards and practices.

• Knowledge of basic pre-hospital emergency medical care and rescue. Knowledge of radio communication and computer aided dispatch equipment.
• Knowledge of the operation of medical equipment utilized in pre-hospital emergency care.
• Knowledge of current principles and practices of emergency medical services, customer service principles, patient advocacy and incident management.
• Knowledge of community health risk factors, resource information and notification pathways.
• Skill in emergency vehicle operation.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with EMS employees and other members of the emergency medical services and hospital system.
• Skill in performing strenuous work under all weather conditions including emergency situations.
• Skill in map reading and in navigating to call locations under stress and time constraints.
• Skill in all aspects of emergency vehicle response and other related EMS specialties including principals of incident management systems and Unified Command.
• Ability to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care effectively and safely in emergent conditions & environments.
• Ability to remember numerous details and quickly recall essential information.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to identify and meet the needs of the patient, family, and support agencies at the scene of an emergency.
• Ability to communicate professionally in a manner that conveys care and concern for the patient and family.
• Ability to don and effectively wear required department-issued personal protective equipment.

Graduation from an accredited high school or equivalent. 

• Valid Texas Class “C” Driver License.
• Texas Department of State Health Services certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) or higher.
• Austin-Travis County OMD Credentialed at the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B/PL2) level within nine (9) months from the date of hire.

• Ability to don and effectively wear required department-issued personal protective equipment; including but not limited to respirators, protective eyewear, goggles, facemasks, boots, helmet, bunker coat and pants, ballistic vest, protective jackets, and gloves. This includes complying with the department facial hair requirements.
• Unimpaired mobility: Must be able to quickly respond to ambulance, must be able to access patients in difficult terrain, must be able to climb stairs, must be able to work in close and dangerous environments such as damaged vehicles, must be able with partner to carry equipment and patients weighing up to one hundred eighty (180) pounds.
• Physical Abilities: Must be able to perform strenuous physical requirements such as CPR, and lifting and moving of equipment and patients in a variety of environmental conditions. Must be able to swim at the basic survival level.
• Motor Skills: Must be able to perform required medical skills and techniques, such as bandaging, splinting, basic airway management techniques, and defibrillation.
• Vision: Must have correctable vision acceptable for day and night operation of emergency vehicles, must have color acuity adequate for determination of skin and blood color, and must be able to read medication dosages on drug labels and syringes.
• Hearing: Must be able to hear and understand information provided by patients, family or bystanders; must be able to hear breath sounds and accurately determine auscultated blood pressures; must be able to differentiate separate conversations in active, distracting environments; must be able to hear and understand radio traffic when responding with lights and sirens.
• Speech: Must be able to speak and enunciate clearly and at a level audible to others in loud conditions; must be able to speak clearly in stressful situations; must be able to verbally communicate with patients, families, and other emergency personnel.