Do Paramedics need an Ambulance Certification to drive in CA?

[LoganBrogan]

Hello guys, I'm about to start Medic school here pretty soon and I was looking at when my Ambulance certification needs to renewed (and of course its towards the end of medic school when I'm about to re-class) and I was just curious if Paramedics in CA need to have the Ambulance cert as well as EMT's? I saw on the CA DMV website and it stated "The EMT-1 certificate is not required if you are a California licensed physician, registered nurse, emergency care physician assistant, or a paramedic certified by a County Health Officer." I wasn't too sure what the last statement really meant but I know that the medic I work with occasionally likes to drive (rare, I know...) so I was curious. It's a little too late to text and ask anyone so I just wanted a quick answer from somebody.

 

[Akulahawk]

Hello guys, I'm about to start Medic school here pretty soon and I was looking at when my Ambulance certification needs to renewed (and of course its towards the end of medic school when I'm about to re-class) and I was just curious if Paramedics in CA need to have the Ambulance cert as well as EMT's? I saw on the CA DMV website and it stated "The EMT-1 certificate is not required if you are a California licensed physician, registered nurse, emergency care physician assistant, or a paramedic certified by a County Health Officer." I wasn't too sure what the last statement really meant but I know that the medic I work with occasionally likes to drive (rare, I know...) so I was curious. It's a little too late to text and ask anyone so I just wanted a quick answer from somebody.

Short answer is: Yes. If you want to be authorized to drive an ambulance, you must possess a current ambulance driver certificate. The minimum certificate required is the EMT certificate. The "other" licenses all require education beyond that of an EMT. If you absolutely do NOT want to drive the ambulance, you do not need to have the ambulance driver certificate. Not having it makes you much less likely to be employed as an EMT or Paramedic but it is not required for you to function as/be an EMT or Paramedic.

The DMV statement you quoted has nothing to do with not needing the certificate to drive an ambulance, rather it tells you that if you hold one of those certificates/licenses, you also can get an ambulance driver certificate. My spouse has zero medical training beyond first aid and CPR and as such does NOT meet minimum requirements to get an ambulance driver certificate.

I am a Registered Nurse and I am a Paramedic. I can present either license (as long as they're valid) to the DMV and either meets (actually both exceed...) minimum medical training requirements for me to get the ambulance driver certificate.

There is a minor exception to this and unless you're in the fire service, the exception does not pertain to you, and you'd know why.

 

[LoganBrogan]

Short answer is: Yes. If you want to be authorized to drive an ambulance, you must possess a current ambulance driver certificate. The minimum certificate required is the EMT certificate. The "other" licenses all require education beyond that of an EMT. If you absolutely do NOT want to drive the ambulance, you do not need to have the ambulance driver certificate. Not having it makes you much less likely to be employed as an EMT or Paramedic but it is not required for you to function as/be an EMT or Paramedic.

The DMV statement you quoted has nothing to do with not needing the certificate to drive an ambulance, rather it tells you that if you hold one of those certificates/licenses, you also can get an ambulance driver certificate. My spouse has zero medical training beyond first aid and CPR and as such does NOT meet minimum requirements to get an ambulance driver certificate.

I am a Registered Nurse and I am a Paramedic. I can present either license (as long as they're valid) to the DMV and either meets (actually both exceed...) minimum medical training requirements for me to get the ambulance driver certificate.

There is a minor exception to this and unless you're in the fire service, the exception does not pertain to you, and you'd know why.

Great! Thank you so much for the response. You cleared things up for me.

 

[DesertMedic66]

If your company requires you to drive or there is a possibility of driving the ambulance with patients then yes you do need it.

The minimum requirement is to be an EMT basic. They add in the extra sentence to let people know that if you are above the level of training of an EMT then you do not need to get your EMT license, you can use your more advanced license.

 

[CGMedic16]

If you plan on working in the field in this state, you will be hard pressed to find a job without your state license, medical examiner cert , and ambulance cert....that's just to get an interview. Good luck in medic school.

 

[jgmedic]

Yes you do, unless you are working as a FT FF, Then you do not.