# Indiana State Certification or National Registry?



## Zalan (Jan 30, 2011)

Which certification is easier to keep up Indiana State or National Registry? Which would be the easier exam to take? I already know which one is cheaper states only $15 vs. $125 for national. I live on the Indiana & Kentucky border. Out of the 5 local services AMR is the only one that requires National.

I probable won`t be working in EMS till I finish Medic School that starts in the fall. Reason, behind this finding a job that pays better than EMT-B. Wouldn`t be able to do the job without the EMT-B class, & being a hospital tech. I`m doing an ambulance intership, hey it helps my GPA ^^.


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## Epi-do (Jan 30, 2011)

At what level are you asking about?  It appears you have already spoken with your employers to see what their qualifications are.  If you are going to continue working for AMR, it looks like you will have to maintain your NR.  Of course, to work in Indiana, you must maintain your Indiana certification as well.  Basically, unless required by your employer to have both, you can work in Indiana with only your state certification.  However, if you opt to only maintain your NR, you are not a certified EMT in the eyes of Indiana.

If you are asking about your medic certification, once you complete class, to receive your initial Indiana certification as a medic, you must first receive your NR certification.  You turn that paperwork into the state, and they issue your state certification.  However, you are not required to maintain your NR certification after receiving your initial state cert.

You do know you can turn in continuing ed hours to NR to maintain your cert, rather than re-challenging the test, right?  Then the fee is only $20, if I remember correctly.  As for the Indiana cert, there is no test to take after initially being certified.  You simply turn in your continuing ed hours every two years.


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## Zalan (Jan 30, 2011)

Right now I do not work for an EMS provider. I do want to keep my Cert up. The instructors were pushing for us to go for the State written exam over National Registry. The way they explained it though onces you get NR, you just have to send the letter in & you get your state cert. 

They essential made NR sound like a Beast, & the State exam was closer to the way they taught as far as wording went. They made it sound like State was easier to take. However, I have heard other EMT`s say that National is the Gold Standard, & State was the Silver Standard.

As far as requirements to keep your certification up they didn`t say much. Other than you had to have, so many Cont Edu hours. That you also had up to a year to take Nationals if you get State Certified.


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## johnrsemt (Jan 31, 2011)

Get both:  if you ever move it is easier to get state certs in other states if you are nationally registered.

 When I was looking at moving outside of Indiana in 08; I ended up certified in Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Indiana.   Funny thing was,  I was certified in all the states I was looking at, except Utah, where I work.  I work for Military now, and just have to maintain NR.  even though I work in Utah.

  It was easier to talk to other companies and tell them that I was or was going to be certified in the state that they are in.  they take you seriously then.  2 companies actually flew me to them for interviews


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## Epi-do (Jan 31, 2011)

Zalan said:


> Right now I do not work for an EMS provider. *I do want to keep my Cert up.* The instructors were pushing for us to go for the State written exam over National Registry. The way they explained it though onces you get NR, you just have to send the letter in & you get your state cert.
> 
> They essential made NR sound like a Beast, & the State exam was closer to the way they taught as far as wording went. They made it sound like State was easier to take. However, I have heard other EMT`s say that National is the Gold Standard, & State was the Silver Standard.
> 
> As far as requirements to keep your certification up they didn`t say much. Other than you had to have, so many Cont Edu hours. That you also had up to a year to take Nationals if you get State Certified.



I guess, what I am getting at is that I don't understand what level cert you are wanting to keep up.  I am going to assume it is your EMT-B cert, since you have also mentioned going to medic school at some point in the future.

In Indiana, to maintain your EMT-B, you need to turn in the required continuing education hours.  If you do not do this, and let your cert expire, you can petition the state to challenge the written & practical tests.  If you fail either test, you must retake the EMT-B class.  

For NR, you can either submit the required con ed hours, or challenge the test.

Either route you opt to take, maintaining the cert by turning in the con ed hours is definitely the least expensive way to go, and in IN, you don't have to be affiliated with an agency as a basic to maintain your cert.  Something else to keep in mind it that whatever medic class you are looking at may also have requirements regarding your basic cert.  You might want to check and make sure you won't be required to have your state cert to attend school.

If you go to the Indiana State website's Department of Homeland Security, there are links there regarding resources about EMS certification.  You could also call and talk to someone to get your questions answered.


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