Does CA require hazmat training for EMT-Bs?
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sdaileyemt
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No. Unless at a fire department then some require. My instructor is a EMT-P and FF for the Sac airport and he has Hazmat. But no it is not a requirement to be a EMT in CA. Like I am about to take NR and work for AMR and I have not herd of ANYONE working there who is Hazmat certed tell your friend he is whack 
HazMat awareness is NR standard and likely to be standard in every state. I can't speak for every state but, awareness is about 4 hours here now. Since I am neither a content expert on the subject nor a firefighter, it is required that I bring such a person in to teach this portion of the course. I do however recall back when I took either the Basic or Medic, we had a 12 hour course and did certify at the awareness level.
sdaileyemt
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Hmmm well apologize for making fun of your friend. I will ask around tommorow and find out for sure for you
VCEMT
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No, unless your county protocols say so. Fire handles HAZMAT, that is their job. My company did some training with HAZMAT so we know what our roles would be and what to look out for. We just wait until the patients are decon'd and we just take 'em.
You can go get one, it really doesn't matter unless you're volunteer firefighter.
You can go get one, it really doesn't matter unless you're volunteer firefighter.
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Mountain Res-Q
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The Brady and AAOS EMT books have a section on special scene conditions and do mention Hazmat Issues... and I do remember a 30 minute power point on it way back when, but an actual Awareness Level HazMat Cetification? Not required for EMT, but might be for a particular employer.
There should be some type of awareness training program as well as meeting the requirements of CA's OSHA.
http://www.emsa.ca.gov/pubs/pdf/emsa216.pdf
http://www.emsa.ca.gov/pubs/pdf/emsa216.pdf
Wrong. Yes, I understand you are just taking a shot at bashing non-fire agencies again but it also shows your lack of knowledge about EMS and your state or even the definition of hazmat.
Read the link I posted and also become familar with the OSHA regs for your state.
Do you really need a certificate or a patch for everything you learn? Is it just about the skills or if there isn'ta cert or a patch involved you don't pay attention?
Even if you are not spoon fed the regulations word for word, there are certain safety practices that must be adhered to even if you don't encount an overturned tanker each day. You as well as your employer have a responsibility to see that you are aware of this. They mightalso be part of that boring stuff in your refresher or protocol book that you pay no attention to.
Mountain Res-Q
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Absolutely. But, some employeers want those certifications to prove that their employees are capable. i.e. my team would like it if every team member had (at minimum) offical Swiftwater Awareness training and certification so that the newbies on the team, with not rescuer abilities, are not a liability and know their place. We settle for in-service trainingthat explains the key points of Swiftwater Awareness as it applys to what we do and how we do it. We do this through the training manual and team trainings. I personaly could care less about the piece of paper saying "LOOK WHAT I KNOW!" I want the training for the sake of education and being better at what I do. As far as HazMat goes... yes, I took an Awareness Class once upon a time for by benifit, not because anyone said I needed it... so that I had a little more knowledge on calls.
Mountain Res-Q
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Did you read your own link? These are recommended guidelines in CA. It is recommending that all emergency workers recieve HazMat training in anticipation for a WMD-type attack. It includes recommendations that ambos should carry certain gear for proper PPE (jackets, gloves, helmets, N95 masks, etc... ) and what I consider USAR survival gear (water purification methods, daypacks, prophylactic medications, MREs, etc...); items I have yet to see on any Ambo (including the BLS IFT units they are suggesting thes items be on). Nice concepts in theory... not happening in real life and unlikely to until after it is needed. Unless something has changed in the last few hours, I am still under the impression that official HazMat training and certication (beyond the 2 pages in the course books) is not required to be an EMT, but should be considered by anyone serious about EMS and should be offered by an responsible agency/county.
First of all there are different levels of hazmat training which is why the training is necessary to recognize when a higher trainer provider is required for different situations. EVERY PERSON involved in health care and emergency response in this country should be aware of hazmat situations and yes, that is training. It does NOT make one qualified from performing actual hazmat duties but it can keep them from getting hurt. That was addressed decades ago but unfortunately some in EMS don't understand this because they are waiting for the state to offer them another pretty patch or know the difference between the required training or education or the extensive knowledge of specialty training.
So is hazmat training required for some type of an awareness and just for everyday safe work practices, absolutely. These are common sense mandates and yes an employer should keep records that they also provided the training to ensure everyone is up to date and to meet whatever requirements in their state.
Read my above statements. As well, have you ever heard of OSHA and its requirements? Why do some in EMS believe they are so different from other healthcare professionals?
Are you saying these ambulances do not carry gloves or masks and do not have the ability to dispose of bloody items? Now that is a very sad statement for the providers on that truck to not know enough to complain. So yes, they would have absolutely no training and probably should not have been certified.
BTW, have you read about some of the different hazmat situations in CA recently where the ambulance crews had to recognize and take precautions?
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Mountain Res-Q
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I fail to see where you find argument Vent... like usual. All I am saying is that in order to be an EMT in California no formal HazMat training (beyond what is in the course Books as prescribed by DOT) is required. The OP was asking if addition HazMAt training was required. In 8 years as an EMT, I have never been told (by an employeer, by the state EMS, by a county, or by a certifying agency) that I needed to have any HazMat certification. As I said before, such training is recommended and should be offered... and we all WILL follow OSHAs standards, use common safety precaution in everything we do, and use common sense when it comes to dealing with a potential HazMat situation... but it is my understand ing that this thread was about actual HazMat Awarenss Level Certification being requied for EMTs in CA... and if they are required... no one told me and I guess thousands of certifcations across CA just became invalid!
As far as what is on an ambo... duh... of course they all have gloves, masks, and other ppe... but has anyone here ever had an ambo, or engine, or helo that had all the items listed there, including "water purification methods, daypacks, prophylactic medications, MREs"? Seriously. MRE's and water purifiers? Sure I have all that in my SAR pack... but even I don't carry medications to protect me against anthrax or monkey pox. That much of a whacker, I am not!!!
As far as what is on an ambo... duh... of course they all have gloves, masks, and other ppe... but has anyone here ever had an ambo, or engine, or helo that had all the items listed there, including "water purification methods, daypacks, prophylactic medications, MREs"? Seriously. MRE's and water purifiers? Sure I have all that in my SAR pack... but even I don't carry medications to protect me against anthrax or monkey pox. That much of a whacker, I am not!!!
Come take a tour of my rig sometime Mountain, you might be surprised....
Most of the aforementioned material was provided by my company, and the rest is brought on by crews daily.
So you believe the recognition of hazmat situations and protection against is not training? Because you didn't get a pretty patch for it?
Did you not read the question by the OP?
It says NOTHING about getting a certification. Do you not understand the difference between training just for knowledge to use everyday and that which is a specialty that gets you a pretty patch?
And, everyone should be aware of the OSHA guidelinse since that is where you'll find out why you can not eat in the patient compartment of an ambulance.
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Mountain Res-Q
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Water purification methods? Prophylactic medications on the rigs? Daypacks (as in a 72 hours survival type, urban disaster, the sky is falling supplies - not your laptop and vitamin water)? We all have that in SAR and they weigh 35-45 pounds and takes up half a truck.
Cool. Not that I am knocking it... I have seen "Red Dawn" and when the Russians and Cuban attack... you will be ready... ^_^
So you believe the recognition of hazmat situations and protection against is not training? Because you didn't get a pretty patch for it?
Did you not read the question by the OP?
Does CA require hazmat training for EMT-Bs?
It says NOTHING about getting a certification. Do you not understand the difference between training just for knowledge to use everyday and that which is a specialty that gets you a pretty patch?
Maybe the OP didn't mean certifying training... but that was the impression I got. Once again... is that training required TO BE AN EMT? As I said before... it is in the DOT cirriculum for EMT... so yes, the piss-poor, basic, one-related question in the national test, training is required TO BE AN EMT. And I said before... I do not need an patches or paper work to prove what I know. Instead of ready just every other sentance in someones posts, read the entire thing. You seem to ask a lot of questions in sarcasm that were already answered and were, in fact, agreeing with you.
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Did you not read the link I posted? And where have you been for the past 10 years? Have you not ever had to take any updates for the prophlactic medications?
In CA, 72 hours is probably just barely enough for the potential disasters that could and have happened with earthquakes. Many services in FL also have those packs that can go onto the trucks if they are working during a disaster.