Somebody call an EMT

Actually, unless you need CPR or a ride to the hospital, you would be better off calling a paramedic. We throw those terms around interchangeably, albiet flippantly, don't we? Well stop right now and learn the difference, because you may be offending a well-educated person and not even know it!
Here is the difference: EMT stands for emergency medical technician. This means in case of emergency they can do CPR, drive you to the hospital, and assess the situation to the best of their knowledge. What is their knowledge? You might wonder. Well, to become an EMT you have to take an EMT training program, and pass the test. A paramedic, on the other hand has to be an EMT for X amount of years, go to paramedic school, and pass the state and national tests. Both of these require extensive amounts of training and work, but obviously becoming a paramedic takes more work. Paramedics administer drugs and can pronounce people dead. Paramedics essentially take the first few years of medical school in a matter of months.
An easy way to remember which is which is think of a technician- you wouldn't want your ultrasound technician to deliver your baby now, would you?* Paramedics are hard-working folk, who do not take kindly to being clumped in with the technicians. It's a touchy subject. Now that you know the difference, you won't offend a paramedic by calling him an EMT. I know that you didn't mean to, none of us do. For the interest of saved feelings, let's get it right folks.


*This may be a totally inaccurate analogy, but I'm not sure...just go with it.