Emergency Medical Responder Course
Spring 2025 Course Information:
Spring Break off |
Future Course Information (tentative):
| Semester | Course Dates | Registration Open Date |
|---|---|---|
| Summer C 2025 | May 20 - July 17 (Juneteenth off) | Wednesday, May 14 at 10am |
| Fall 2025 | September 9 - November 6 | Wednesday, September 3 at 10am |
| Spring 2026 | February - April (Spring Break off) | Late January |
Meeting Times:
| Days | Class Type | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Lecture | 5-7pm |
| Wednesday | Lecture | 5-7pm |
| Thursday | Lab | 5-9pm |
We offer a course each Spring, Summer C, and Fall semesters. Dates and times are subject to change at any time.
Classes are held on the Tampa campus, historically in the Social Sciences (SOC) building. Specific building and classroom assignments will be released to registered students prior to the start of class.
What is an Emergency Medical Responder?
An Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) is the new terminology for Medical First Responder. EMRs are specially trained persons who provide basic first aid life support, including airway, breathing, and circulation management techniques, in medical and traumatic emergencies. They serve as an entry-level position to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) field, working along side Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Paramedics.
Course Description
This 9-week course offers didactic and practical hands-on skills for patient assessment, basic airway and breathing management, first aid treatment of medical and traumatic emergencies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED).
Each week consists of two days of lecture and one day of a hands-on lab. The course concludes with a written final exam, skills tests, and two practical scenarios that demonstrates the students ability to put their knowledge into action. Students will also complete an ambulance ride-along on their own time.
All course content (e.g. lecture material, skill sheets, quizzes) is provided through USF’s Canvas program. For those potential students who do not have access to Canvas, the course material will be provided through another medium. The course textbook is optional.
Attendance is required to all class meetings. The certification requires a minimum number of classroom hours. Also, lecture and lab meetings provide additional information that is not covered in the PowerPoints or available on Canvas. As such, a student can only miss 4 hours of excused class instruction. Jobs or other university classes are not considered an excused absence or permitted reason for leaving early or late arrivals.
This is not an EMT course. UEMSA and USF do not offer an EMT course. EMR is not required before becoming an EMT. EMT is required to become a Florida firefighter or paramedic.
This EMR course is not a USF for-credit course and does not count towards your GPA or any degree or elective requirements for any USF college or program.
Certification
Upon completion of this course and ride-along, students will be certified as an Emergency Medical Responder by the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI).
The CPR certification is “BLS Providers” through the American Heart Association (AHA). This is the preferred CPR certification for persons working in the healthcare field.
Both certifications are valid for two years.
These certifications can be used to work and gain volunteer and patient care hours in many areas of the healthcare system, including EMS. EMRs can work side-by-side with EMTs and Paramedics responding to emergency 911 and other medical calls with local ambulance companies or right here on campus with UEMSA’s Medical Stand-by services and the Medical Response Unit (MRU)! It is also possible to be health support staff in clinics and other similar healthcare environments- including the Student Health & Wellness Center on the Tampa campus!
Requirements
Age: 17 years of age or older by the start of the course. (You must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer for the MRU and Health Support Staff).
Student status: The course is open to everyone; you do not need to be a USF student. (You must be an active student to volunteer for the MRU and Health Support Staff).
Uniform: The lab portion of the course and the ride-along requires a uniform. The uniform items to be purchased by the student are: Black pants or BDUs, all-black close-toed shoes or sneakers (boots preferred; no cloth or canvas), black belt, and a watch with “seconds” hand or display. Items will be discussed more on the first day and are due by the third week of class.
Physical: By this course’s very nature, and the nature of the EMS field, students must meet certain fitness, ability, and cognitive standards. Students must have the ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. Student must be able to see, hear, talk, balance, sit, stand, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, walk, use hands, and reach with hands and arms.
Willingness to learn: The course’s workload is about a capstone level or 4-credit hour, 4000 level course with lab. Practice of skills and assessments is required outside of the Thursday lab classes.
Tuition and Payment
Cost: $450; includes the uniform polo shirt, stethoscope, lab supplies, and the CPR and EMR completion cards.
Payment methods: Credit/debit card (via PayPal), money order, or certified/cashier’s check. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. The course cannot be paid with financial aid or any similar program.
Payment plans: 2 payments of $225 or 4 payments of $112.50
Due dates: At least a quarter-payment is due by the end of the first week and full payment is due by the fourth week
Registration Information
Registration has TWO STEPS: an Eventbrite registration and a Seat Deposit payment.
This is not a USF course; there is no CRN and registration is not performed through Oasis.
Registration is first come, first served. There is no early registration. Once main registration is full, a Wait List will open.
First day of class attendance is mandatory. Failure to appear in class the first day will forfeit your seat to a student on the Wait List.
Step 1: Reserve your seat by registering via Eventbrite.
Upon successful registration, you will see a confirmation webpage and receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite to the address you provided during the first part of registration.
On the confirmation webpage and at the very bottom of the confirmation email (under Additional Information) the directions to pay the Seat Deposit are listed.
Notes about Eventbrite registration:
- You can bookmark the registration page below for easy access on registration day.
- An Eventbrite account is not required.
- If you are a USF student, you will be specifically asked for your USF email address. If you are not a USF student, you should provide an email you check often.
- You will have 5 minutes to complete the registration form. If time expires or you exit the form, your seat will be released from hold and made available to another student.
- Once all seats have been filled, a Wait List will automatically open. Once the Wait List is full, Eventbrite will permanently close registration
Step 2: Pay the Seat Deposit via PayPal.
A $50 seat deposit is required to complete your registration. This deposit will count towards your total course fee. Seat Deposits are non-refundable.
See your Eventbrite confirmation email for details on how to pay the deposit.
Seat Deposits are due at 11:59pm on the same day you register. Any reserved seat without a paid Seat Deposit by the due date will be forfeited and given to a student on the Wait List.
A PayPal account is not required. PayPal accepts credit and debit cards for “guest” checkouts. Additional payment types may be available to account holders. UEMSA does not accept cash, personal or cashier’s checks, or money orders for Seat Deposits.
Wait List Information:
If you have registered on the waitlist and a seat becomes available, you will receive an email from Eventbrite (to the address you provided) detailing how to pay the Seat Deposit to reserve your seat.
Seat Deposit payments are due within 24 hours of the email being sent. Any reserved seat without a paid Seat Deposit by the due date will be forfeited and given to another student on the Wait List.
Canvas Invitations:
If registration was successful and you paid your Seat Deposit, you will receive an invitation email from Canvas inviting you to join the course. Follow the link in the email to join. Invitations will be sent by 12pm on Friday, January 31.
Click the button below or copy and paste the link to register:
https://EMRS25.eventbrite.com
Still have questions? Contact Us!