Here is the deal with the patches. There are actually four types of EMT-IV patches, the standard ones say, "IV Therapy" at the top. The new ones (Like Pro-Med EMS is using in some of their stations) says "IV Tech" at the top. Then there is the "EMT-IV" rocker patch, which has been spoken of, but I have yet to see it. Now, the standard TN EMT-IV patch says, "Tennessee" in place of Advanced.
The advanced seems to be a fall back from a time when the Paramedic was referred to as the Advanced EMT (Not to be mistaken with EMT-Advanced). Now, I am assuming (keyword) that when we move to the EMT-Advanced level in Fall 2011, requiring all EMT-IV to bridge up or lose their i/85 priveleges, that the patches will either replace, "IV Therapy" at the top with "Advanced" or they will still say "IV Therapy" at the top and "Advanced" in place of TN, like the patch shown in your gallery. They didn't mention anything about the patch at the Regional educators conference in Chattanooga when Ms Tidwell announced the new levels. That being said,
you also have to remember, the state does not send you a patch when you get your EMT-IV license. You either have one on your uniform, or you pick one up from your local uniform shop that carries them. All of my patches back when I was an EMT-IV said, "Tennessee" and had "IV Therapy" at the top. I never had one that said, "IV Tech" or "EMT-IV".
The patch with no rocker is used for the "EMT-Basic" which we no longer license here in TN. The Paramedic patch has a rocker that says, you guessed it.. "Paramedic"
Also, about the aesthetics, I actually like the way the patch looks. However, the National Registry Paramedic patch drives me freaking crazy, it is so ugly. If you want a more thorough answer, you should contact Donna Tidwell at the state board of EMS. If she can't answer your question, no one can, considering she is over the entire licensing division of the board of EMS.
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Also, before you guys come in and say, this thread is old, I could care less. I had a thorough answer to a question that was posed in this thread where no answer was found. As such, I chose to revive the thread, if you don't like it, deal with it. Moreover, if you are one of those who says, "Stop reviving threads", I dont want to hear your $h!t about people asking the same question over and over. My reason for reviving this thread was both warranted and legitimate.