Careers
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) respond to emergency calls, perform services under medical supervision, and transport patients to medical facilities.
Graduates of the EMS programs at BRCC are eligible for testing through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), which is mandatory for Virginia certification. Students may test at the EMT, AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician) and Paramedic levels after meeting program requirements for that level. Graduates of the Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S) in Emergency Medical Services are eligible to sit for the National Registry Paramedic cognitive and psychomotor examination.
Program Overview
This program offers three stackable levels of certification as well as an Associates of Applied Science in EMS. The Associate in Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Services is designed to produce high-quality, entry-level paramedics who can serve the community with advanced life support care via the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards (NEMSES).
Program Requirements
Students must:
- be 18 years of age before enrolling in any courses with an EMS prefix
- have a current Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS) approved CPR provider/instructor card
- be certified through VAOEMS or NREMT at the EMT level for all advanced life support courses
Clinical Education
BRCC offers this academic program through partnerships with local healthcare agencies and community affiliates to provide clinical education opportunities for students.
BRCC has not determined if the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) program meets the requirements of any other states.
Program Options
Program Resources
Accreditation Status
The Blue Ridge Community College Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation standards through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the National Registry's Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation.
To Contact CoAEMSP
214-703-8445
The Blue Ridge Community College Paramedic program has a site visit scheduled for pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (www.caahep.org). This step in the process is neither a status of accreditation nor a guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was for the calendar year 2022.
The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam was 100%.
The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 100%.
Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as ‘Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military’. Positive placement is measured at completion of the program.
The most recent retention rate was 71.4%.
| Outcome | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Retention | 71.4% | 63.6% | 61.5% |
| NREMT or State Cognitive Exam | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Placement | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Course/Year | Attempted the Exam | First Attempt Pass | Cumulative Pass Within 3 Attempts | Cumulative Pass Within 6 Attempts | Failed All 6 Attempts | Eligible for Retest | Did Not Complete Within 2 Years |
| EMT 2022 | 14 | 86% | 93% | 93% | 0% | 7% | 0% |
| EMT 2021 | 33 | 76% 25 | 94% 31 | 94% 31 | 0% 0 | 6% 2 | 0% 0 |
| EMT 2020 | 21 | 81% 17 | 86% 18 | 86% 18 | 0% 0 | 14% 3 | 0% 0 |
| AEMT 2022 | 12 | 67% | 83% | 83% | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| AEMT 2021 | 6 | 83% 5 | 100% 6 | 100% 6 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 |
| AEMT 2020 | 5 | 80% 4 | 80% 4 | 80% 4 | 0% 0 | 20% 1 | 0% 0 |
| Paramedic 2022 | 5 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Paramedic 2021 | 7 | 100% 7 | 100% 7 | 100% 7 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 |
| Paramedic 2020 | 3 | 100% 3 | 100% 3 | 100% 3 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 | 0% 0 |
* an additional (5) graduates from 2020 tested and passed their first attempt during the 2021 calendar year.