EMT Training in Washington (WA)

FavoriteLoadingAdd to favorites

EMT training in Washington state will allow you become an EMT in one of the most populous state in the West Coast with more than 6 million residents. Most of the population is located in the Seattle metropolitan area which is half of the population in the entire state of Washington.

You can become an EMT in one of the large cities in Washington state like Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, and the capital Olympia. The state of Washington ranks as one of the top paying states for EMS professionals with it’s metropolitan areas like Tacoma and Olympia having a annual mean wage of $49,840 and $65,880 respectively according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

EMS in Washington State

The EMS & Trauma System provides all the information you may need regarding EMS training in Washington state. They work along with other EMS and Trauma councils in their region and with other health care providers.

The EMS provider levels in Washington include:

  • Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Advanced EMT
  • Paramedic

EMT Training Schools in Washington State

You should search for an approved EMT training in Washington state that follows the U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines and Washington State Department of Health standards. Some of the schools that offer EMT training include:

EMT Training Requirements in Washington State

To become and be a certified EMT in Washington, you should be at least 17 years old. You will also need others requirements including the following:

  • High School Diploma, High School Transcripts or GED certificate
  • Current driver’s license
  • Current Healthcare Provider CPR Card
  • Washington State Patrol Background Check
  • Proof of Medical Insurance
  • Proof of Immunity

The course take about 150 to 190 hours to complete including 10 hours of required patient care observation with a minimum of 5 patient interaction in a clinical setting. You can be in an Emergency department, ICU, Coronary care unit, OB-GYN, Recovery room, ambulance runs with patients, and other approved departments. You should have the competency needed from the clinical experience to successfully complete the course. The clinical hours must be competed before the end of course evaluation.

Once you have been deemed competent in your cognitive, affective and psychomotor abilities and successfully completed the field internship, you will receive a Certificate of Course Completion after completing the EMT training in Washington. You will need this certificate to be eligible for the Washington State approved written certification exam.

EMT Certification in Washington State

The written part of the certification examination used by the state of Washington for certifying EMS personnel is the National Registry of EMT exam. Once you’ve passed the NREMT exam, you’ll be recognized by the NREMT. To get certified in Washington state, you must complete the application process. You will need the course completion certification from the approved EMT training program and the National registry examination results to apply for state certification. To stay certified in Washington, you don’t need to maintain the NREMT certification, you only need to complete the state of Washington requirements for re-certification.

EMT Re-certification

To renew your certification, you must complete all requirements of either the Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Ongoing Training and Education Program (OTEP) for each certification period. The CME requires written and practical certification examinations to be completed at the end of each certification period. The OTEP requires ongoing examination and evaluation as part of the training program.

The annual education requirements include cardiovascular education and training, spinal immobilization, and Patient assessment while the requirements for certification period include infectious disease, trauma, pharmacology, and other pediatric topics. You must complete 30 hours per certification period. There are also skills maintenance requirements and other details which can be found here.

The education for re-certification must be approved by the medical program director (MPD) and must include nationally recognized CPR programs, foreign body airway obstruction, defibrillation, and patient care.

You can re-certify using the online renewal process or fill a paper application.

EMT Reciprocity

You can apply for reciprocity if you are a certified EMT from another state or the NREMT by having an employment or supervision of an approved EMS agency. In addition, you also need Infectious Disease Prevention training even if you’ve already received training elsewhere.

Until you completed your EMT training in Washington state and/or issued a state certificate, you cannot work as an Emergency Medical Technician in the State of Washington to provide basic life support and transport patients with illness or injury.


Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if someone makes a qualified purchase, please read my disclosure for more information.