The 14-Day EMT Boot Camp at Unitek EMT features interactive classroom instruction, hands-on exercises, and clinical simulations. The Boot Camp is taught by experienced EMS professionals and averages about 10 hours of EMS instruction per day for 14 consecutive days. During the program, students participate in realistic emergency simulations to prepare them for success in the field.

Click here for an overview of the EMT Boot Camp Program. (If you’ve already earned your EMT license and need to recertify, click here to learn more about the Unitek EMT Refresher Course.)

This guide is part of a 14-part series providing an overview of each training day at the Unitek 14-Day EMT Boot Camp. This article summarizes Day 10.

(Click here to explore our full 14-Day EMT Curriculum)

EMT Boot Camp Syllabus & Class Schedule: Day 10

Time Hours Description Homework
0800–1030 2.5 Ch 32 Environmental Emergencies
1030–1200 1.5 Ch 35 Geriatric Emergencies
1200–1230 0.5 LUNCH
1230–1500 2.5 Ch 37 Transport Operations
1500–1700 2.0 Practical Skills Ch 36 Patients With Special Challenges
1700–1730 0.5 DINNER
1730–2000 2.5 Practical Skills

About the EMT Textbook

The textbook used throughout the EMT Boot Camp is: Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured Digital Advantage Package, Twelfth Edition. Published by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), this textbook provides the fundamental knowledge of the emergency medical services (EMS) system, safety and well-being of the emergency medical technician (EMT), and medical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to emergency care. Each chapter covers National EMS Education Standard Competencies.

Chapters Covered on Day 10 Include:

  • Chapter 32: Environmental Emergencies
  • Chapter 35: Geriatric Emergencies
  • Chapter 36: Patients With Special Challenges
  • Chapter 37: Transport Operations

EMT Textbook Chapter 32—Environmental Emergencies: Summary

Chapter 32 covers the prehospital care and transportation of patients with environmental injuries. Environmental injuries are those caused by an element or force outside the patient which can occur anywhere—indoors, outdoors, on land or in water.

Among other topics, Chapter 32 discusses the assessment and treatment of:

  • Hypothermia
  • Local cold injuries, such as frostbite
  • Heat exposure illnesses, such as heat stroke
  • Drowning
  • Diving emergencies
  • High-altitude sickness
  • Electrical injury
  • Lightning strikes
  • Bites and envenomations
  • Radiation exposures

After completing Chapter 32 and the related coursework, you will have learned how to properly assess and manage many common environmental injuries. You will gain an understanding of the risk factors, signs and symptoms, and emergency treatment procedure for a variety of conditions.

EMT Textbook Chapter 35—Geriatric Emergencies: Summary

Chapter 35 focuses on the prehospital care and transportation of older patients, specifically those over the age of 65. Students are taught the physiologic and psychological changes that occur with the aging process and the types of illness and injuries common to the geriatric population.

Some of the topics covered in Chapter 35 include:

  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Respiratory diseases
  • Neurologic diseases
  • Endocrine diseases
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Dementia

Upon completing Chapter 35 and the related coursework, you will know how to assess and manage a patient with geriatric diseases and emergencies. You will understand the GEMS Diamond (Geriatric Patient, Environmental Assessment, Medical Assessment, Social Assessment), use of advance directives (living will), and signs and symptoms of elder abuse. Finally you’ll also be taught the importance of recognizing and reporting abuse and neglect.

EMT Textbook Chapter 36—Patients With Special Challenges: Summary

Chapter 36 covers the cause, effects, assessment and prehospital treatment of patients with special challenges, including pediatric, pregnant, geriatric and cognitively impaired patients.

In Chapter 36, students learn the healthcare implications of patients with special challenges, including:

  • Abuse
  • Neglect
  • Homelessness
  • Poverty
  • Bariatrics (obesity)
  • Technology dependence
  • Hospice/Terminally ill
  • Tracheostomy care/dysfunction
  • Homecare
  • Sensory deficit/loss
  • Developmental disability

After successfully completing Chapter 36 and the related course work, you will understand the special needs of patients with developmental, sensory, and physical disabilities. This includes intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing impairment, and conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or paralysis. You will understand the unique anatomy and physiology of these patients and know the proper assessment, treatment and transportation procedures.

EMT Textbook Chapter 37—Transport Options: Summary

Chapter 37 covers the operational roles and responsibilities of EMTs transporting EMS patients.

In Chapter 37 both ground ambulance and air medical transport are discussed. Some of the key topics discussed include:

  • Risks and responsibilities of emergency response and transport
  • Safe air medical transport operations
  • How to decontaminate the ambulance and equipment
  • Nine phases of an ambulance call
  • Equipment carried on an ambulance
  • High-rik situations and hazards of transport and pre-transport
  • Elements of a written patient report
  • Safety while enroute to the scene, the hospital, and the station

After successfully completing Chapter 37 and the related course work, you will be able to describe and apply effective preparation for transport, safe emergency vehicle operations, appropriate transport decisions, safe patient transfer techniques, and a responsible approach to patient care during transport. You will also know the nine phases of a call and describe the EMT’s role in each phase. This chapter also covers the steps necessary to properly clean and disinfect the emergency vehicle and equipment following a call.

Day 10: Summary

Successful completion of Day 10 of EMT Boot Camp will provide the knowledge and skills needed to treatment and transportation EMS patients with environmental emergencies, geriatric patients, and patients with special challenges. You will learn the proper assessment and management of many common environmental injuries. You will how to assess and treat geriatric patients, including the effect of the aging process and the types of illness and injuries common to the geriatric population.  Finally, Day 10 will teach the operational roles and responsibilities of EMTs when transporting patients, including how to properly clean and disinfect the emergency vehicle and equipment following a call.

Day 10 requires 12 hours of participation from start to finish, including two half-hour breaks for lunch and dinner. The coursework and training are accelerated. You will be expected to process and retain a lot of information in a relatively short time.

The Unitek 14-Day EMT Boot Camp is not easy, but it is worth it! Our dedicated graduates are among the best trained and most effective EMTs in the world today. Click here to learn more about our two week EMT Boot Camp.

(Click here to explore our full 14-Day EMT Curriculum)

About Unitek EMT

Unitek EMT is one of the premier EMT schools in Arizona. Our mission is simple: training the next wave of top-notch EMT professionals. We offer a variety of training options to fit your needs, including an accelerated EMT program to get you mission-ready and certified fast. We also offer EMS Continuing Education courses to update your expertise and enhance your career. Unitek EMT instructors are experienced leaders in their fields, and our real-world training scenarios are ideal for aspiring EMT professionals.