The National EMS Scope of Practice Model divides the core content of EMS into four “levels” of practice, defines the entry-level corresponding skills and related knowledge for each level of EMS clinician, and establishes four levels of field personnel: the emergency medical responder (EMR), the emergency medical technician (EMT), the advanced emergency technician (AEMT), and the paramedic. Each level represents a unique role, set of skills, and knowledge base for which the national EMS education standards define educational content. The education standards define the required entry-level educational content for EMS personnel within the parameters outlined in the National EMS Scope of Practice Model.

This chapter outlines the five-part EMS education system outlined in the EMS Education Agenda for the Future, which includes the national EMS core content, national EMS scope of practice model, national EMS education standards, national EMS certification, and national EMS education program accreditation, and describes three overlapping layers of regulation (national certification, state licensure, and local credentialing).