How Much Do You Know About an EMT's Job?

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How Much Do You Know About an EMT's Job?
Image: Tashi-Delek / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

An EMT (also known as an emergency medical technician) is responsible for quickly responding to a wide range of accidents or emergencies to provide first aid. This can be anything from car accidents to house fires, to major injuries and dozens of other situations. As you could imagine, this can be a very hard job, and EMTs really never know what they'll have to deal with on any given shift. 

EMTs need to have a wide range of skills, certifications and qualifications to be able to handle these situations. But how much of what an EMT does do you know? Do you know how to successfully stabilize someone with a broken neck? How about what the signs and symptoms of a concussion are? 

Whether you want to flex your EMT knowledge or want to further educate yourself on the topic, this quiz can help you do just that. We will look at all aspects of an EMT's job, covering their actual duties, their preparation and knowledge and even some stats related to the profession as a whole throughout the USA.

Without any further ado, put yourself in the shoes of a first responder, hop in the ambulance and get ready to test yourself against our challenging EMT quiz! 

4 skin turning blue
ljubaphoto / E+ / Getty Images
If someone's skin is starting to turn a little blue, what is that likely a sign of?
They have a concussion.
They've eaten too many blueberries.
They have a broken bone.
Their blood is low in oxygen.
6 epipen
Ana Maria Serrano / Moment / Getty Images
What type of situation would someone need to carry an EpiPen for?
A heart attack
An allergic reaction
A broken bone
A bruise appearing
5 carotid artery
laflor / E+ / Getty Images
Where on the body is the carotid artery located?
Leg
Neck
Arm
Abdomen

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7 treating without consent
Mikael Vaisanen / The Image Bank / Getty Images
When attempting to treat injuries, how do you handle getting consent from a victim who is unconscious?
Ask someone else nearby
You may treat without consent if the situation is dire.
Call their family
You can't do anything.
15 concussion symptoms
SDI Productions / E+ / Getty Images
Which of the following is not a common symptom of a concussion?
Confusion
Dizziness
Nausea
Fingers turning blue
10 stop the bleeding
Jonathan Knowles / Stone / Getty Images
If you arrive to find someone on the scene who is bleeding profusely, what is the very first thing you should try to do?
Stop the bleeding
Get them fluids
Clean up the blood
Stitch them up

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20 possible broken neck
shotbydave / E+ / Getty Images
What is the very first thing you should do if you believe a victim has suffered from a broken neck?
Sit them up and ask them questions.
Carry them away from their current location.
Stabilize the neck and keep them still.
Look for other victims before touching them.
2 normal heart rate
Jamie Grill / The Image Bank / Getty Images
What is a healthy and normal heart rate for an adult?
60-100 beats per minute
20-40 beats per minute
140-180 beats per minute
15-45 beats per minute
11 stroke victims
Juanmonino / E+ / Getty Images
Which of these characteristics or behaviors is something not commonly seen in stroke victims?
Suddenly feeling numb
Feeling very happy and elated
Trouble speaking or hearing
A drooping face

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26 providing first aid
simonkr / E+ / Getty Images
If you notice more than one victim at the scene of an incident, which do you provide first aid to first?
Help the first person you see.
Help whoever asks first.
Flip a coin
Help whoever appears to be hurt the most.
28 vital signs
Morsa Images / DigitalVIsion / Getty Images
Which of the following is not a vital sign?
Eyesight
Pulse
Temperature
Blood pressure
13 training
skynesher / E+ / Getty Images
Who sets the minimum requirements for EMT training?
The president
The NHTSA
Hospitals
State governors vote on it.

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16 where emts are employed
Jochen Sand / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Where are EMTs employed in the USA?
Fire departments
Police stations
Hospitals
All of the above
23 longest bone
Luis Alvarez / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Which bone in the human body is the longest?
Radius
Femur
Tibia
Clavicle
18 bones
Yagi Studio / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Our bodies are full of bones, but how many exist in the average adult human body?
309
173
87
206

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22 endocrine system
skynesher / E+ / Getty Images
What is the role of the endocrine system in the human body?
Produce hormones
Regulate growth and development
Regulate metabolism
All of the above
32 fluids
GaryAlvis / E+ / Getty Images
What kind of body fluid can pass and transfer diseases or pathogens?
Blood
Urine
Saliva
All of the above
33 aorta
Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images
Where in the body is the aorta?
In the neck
In the chest and abdomen
In the leg
In the arm

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29 ulna injury
Tashi-Delek / E+ / Getty Images
If a victim just snapped their ulna, what part of their body did they injure?
Neck
Arm
Leg
Foot
8 program began
kali9 / E+ / Getty Images
Around when did the EMT program in the USA begin?
The early 1920s
The early 1950s
The early 1970s
The early 1980s
24 left atrium role
mashuk / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
In our bodies, what is the role of the left atrium?
It delivers blood to the body.
It oxygenates the blood.
It receives blood and pumps to the left ventricle.
None of the above

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19 avulsion
Ted Horowitz / The Image Bank / Getty Images
If an avulsion occurs during an accident, what has happened?
A part of a person's body structure is torn off.
A deep pinhole injury
Two broken bones in multiple parts of the body
A person has lost consciousness
30 arterial bleeding
ER Productions Limited / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Which type of bleeding is the most harmful and dangerous to the victim?
Capillary bleeding
Venous bleeding
Arterial bleeding
All are equally bad
21 women emts
Zero Creatives / Cultura / Getty Images
Of the EMTs working in the USA, what percentage of them are women?
Around 35%
Around 60%
Around 10%
Around 20%

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27 breaths per min
Stanislaw Pytel / DigitalVision / Getty Images
How many times a minute should the average adult take a breath?
Between 25 and 30 breaths a minute
Around 60 breaths a minute
Between 12 and 20 breaths a minute
More than 100 breaths a minute
25 cpr
choja / E+ / Getty Images
When doing CPR on a victim, what is the recommended ratio of chest compressions and breaths?
100 compressions and then five breaths
30 compressions and then two breaths
20 compressions and then three breaths
10 compressions and four breaths
3 number of emts
Bounce / Cultura / Getty Images
Approximately how many EMTs are working in the USA, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
Around 700,000
Just under 100,000
Just over 250,000
Just over 350,000

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14 levels of emt
ER Productions Limited / DigitalVision / Getty Images
How many "levels" of EMT are there that the NHTSA recognizes?
One
Two
Three
Four
12 amount of blood in body
Andrew Brookes / Cultura / Getty Images
How much blood does the average person have inside their body?
Around 1.5 gallons
About 2 gallons
Around 3.5 gallons
Around 8 gallons
35 average age of emt
simonkr / E+ / Getty Images
According to the Census Bureau, what is the average age of EMTs in the USA?
Around 50 years old
Around 35 years old
Around 30 years old
Around 40 years old

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17 explosion injuries
Jose A. Bernat Bacete / Moment / Getty Images
During an explosion, what level of blast injury is likely to be the most fatal?
Primary injuries
Secondary Injuries
Tertiary Injuries
Quaternary injuries
31 pulse on infant
katleho Seisa / E+ / Getty Images
If you want to discover the pulse rate of an infant, what is the best and preferred way to do it?
Check their wrist.
Check their elbow.
Check their neck.
Check their feet.
34 first ambulance service
Phil Fisk / Cultura / Getty Images
When did the first ambulance service that was based in an American hospital begin?
1911
1786
1934
1865

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9 hypovolemic shock
Jochen Sands / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Which of the following is the most common type of shock?
Cardiogenic shock
Septic shock
Anaphylactic shock
Hypovolemic shock
1 star of life
Randy Faris / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Which of these is the name for the symbol commonly associated with emergency medical services all over the world?
The Coat of Arms
Star of Life
The Badge of Truth
The Healthy Snake