Which patch?

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Icemedic23

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I ama newly certified paramedic. I work fuLl time as a medic but continue to assist my hometown BLS volunteer squad. Do i continue to wear a regular EMT patch on that uniform? What about after my EMT basic certification was previously set to expire?
 
Whatever the officers on your volunteer squad want you to wear.

If you're working on a BLS squad, it makes sense to only wear an EMT patch, as you can only function at that level.
 
Icemedic23 said:
I ama newly certified paramedic. I work fuLl time as a medic but continue to assist my hometown BLS volunteer squad. Do i continue to wear a regular EMT patch on that uniform? What about after my EMT basic certification was previously set to expire?
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You can always work at any level up to Paramedic, don't worry about your EMT-B card expiring as long as your medic stays current.
While working at the volunteer service you are working at the BLS level and one could argue that it is false representation of the service to wear a medic patch because you are unable to provide ALS care.
 
Remember, we don't allow any legal advice on this forum, so my original advice is still the best:

WEAR THE PATCH YOUR DEPARTMENT APPROVES.

if you or your department have questions, consult your State Office of EMS for clarification.
 
I am not sure what the laws are where you are from, but in New Jersey when certified as a medic there is no need to keep rectifying at the BLS level. A paramedic can function on his paramedic as a basic because it is a higher level of care. With that said, a paramedic can only function as a medic in NJ when with a medic program.

What I am saying, is many paramedics remain on BLS squads and work as an EMT but only maintain a medic cert. My volunteer department is a joint for paid/volly. The pay is so high, and some employees have been there so long, that they actually work as an EMT full time and part time as medics, making more as a EMT. They all where the NJ MICU patch.
 
ZombieEMT said:
The pay is so high, and some employees have been there so long, that they actually work as an EMT full time and part time as medics, making more as a EMT. They all where the NJ MICU patch.
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wear, not where.

and I believe they are incorrect; if your job description is as an EMT, you can only function as an EMT, than you should be wearing an EMT patch. At least that was what I was told by a paramedic on my former volunteer squad.

Its not like in New York state, where a paramedic can be on a BLS ambulance, and if they get an ALS intercept, said paramedic can do all the ALS procedures he was trained on.

But you should consult your agency bosses and state DOH for a more official answer.
 
They only function as an EMT, even though they are certified as medics. From what my chief tells me, many . Them actually arent legally able to wear an EMT patch because rhry are no longret certified as an EMT. This includes himself who has been a medic for 30 plus years.
 
on my volly squad the truck says ALS on the side, even when we are only operating BLS, if we have only a driver and a medic or a driver and a cardiac we operate BLS, medic still has his ALS patch on. we are only allowed ALS if there are two EMTs on board, so EMT-Cardiac and EMT-B would be considered an ALS squad, Paramedic and EMT-B would be ALS, Paramedic and Driver would be BLS.
 
As it was stated earlier check with your local squad to see what they allow you to wear.

I know for my state, if you are a functioning paramedic with established command you can wear the paramedic patch.

HOWEVER when you are on riding on a BLS squad as a BLS provider you provide BLS skills only. No matter what your skill level is, We have a PA whos a EMT. he can only function as a EMT.

OTOH my local squad that is BLS has paramedics on as volley members, for uniformity they want you to wear the EMT-Basic Patch.
 
DEmedic said:
Remember, we don't allow any legal advice on this forum, so my original advice is still the best:

WEAR THE PATCH YOUR DEPARTMENT APPROVES.

if you or your department have questions, consult your State Office of EMS for clarification.
Click to expand...

Probably the best advice

In my neck of the woods, it does not matter what level you are, if you’re a higher license than that of the service, e.g. Paramedic/AEMT working for a Basic level service, you can still sport the Paramedic\AEMT patch. You can only function to the highest level that the Service is licensed to. Unless you get into individual protocol licensing but you don’t want to go there. To most people we are either Ambulance Drivers or Paramedics with no distinction between the two and most, I say most not all, don’t understand the difference were I'm from.

But I would heed DEmedic’s advice to keep yourself out of trouble.
 
We allow our providers to wear the highest certification patch or ID they have earned. So we have a few that wear MICU patches, one is a EMT and wears an RN rocker, another a PA, another a DO.

This a BLS volunteer agency in NJ
 
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