EMT Course

Fall 2026 EMT Certification Course

  • What: EMT certification course
  • Where: In-person (Watson Center, 60 Sachem St., Room TBA)
  • When: Spring 2026 semester
    • Sundays (6 - 10pm)
    • Tuesdays (6 - 10pm)
  • Cost: $1000 (excluding textbook & testing fees) *scholarships available

Interest meeting for Fall 2026 course will be on Mon, Aug 31, 2026 @ 6:00 PM EST:  Zoom Link here. Please email ryder.lariviere@yale.edu for additional details.

The Fall 2026 EMT class will begin on Sun, Sept 6, 2026. If you are interested in taking the EMT course in Fall 2026, please register for the course using this SignUpGenius application by Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026 @ 11:59 PM EST (midnight). Registration will open up on Monday, Aug 31, 2026 @ 9:45 PM EST.

The Fall 2026 EMT course scholarship application can be found here. Preference will be given to undergraduate freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who can commit to YEMS post-certification. The scholarship application must be submitted concurrently with the above SignUpGenius course registration.

Please read ALL instructions the scholarship application’s form description.

To maintain your spot in the class after acceptance via SignUpGenius:

1. Students will get an invoice from Shaun Heffernan by Thursday, 9/3/26 at 12:00 PM (noon).
2. You may pay directly online via Square by credit/debit card. Payment due date is Saturday, 9/5/26 at 11:59 PM (midnight).
3. Once you register, you will get an invoice from Shaun’s system within 12 hours.
4. Immediately upload a copy of this invoice to the YEMS Proof of Payment form.
5. We’ll see you in class starting at 6:00 PM on Sunday, 9/6/26, in Watson Center. More details to come!
 
Please direct any questions about the course to Lieutenant of Personnel,  Ryder Lariviere, at ryder.lariviere@yale.edu.
 

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC EMT CLASS. IT IS CURRENTLY ONLY OPEN TO YALE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. FOR A LIST OF PUBLIC CLASSES, PLEASE SEE THIS LINK.

About the Class

This semester-long class offered under the auspices of the Connecticut Department of Health, Office of EMS, fulfills the U.S. DOT National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Basic training. The class meets twice a week throughout the semester and provides extensive didactic instruction as well as skills training and assessments in all aspects of basic life support (BLS) and emergency medical care. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be eligible to take the Connecticut state EMT practical exam followed by the NREMT national written exam. Graduates of the EMT class who pass both exams will be granted state EMT certification by the State of Connecticut Office of EMS as well as membership in the NREMT. (NREMT certification allows the EMT to obtain reciprocal state certification in most other states that participate in the NREMT.)

In this course, you will learn:

  • Training in personal safety
  • Safety of the EMT, patient, and bystanders
  • Review of basic anatomy & physiology
  • Patient assessment
  • Airway management
  • Medical emergencies and care
  • Trauma emergencies and care
  • Environmental, behavioral, and other emergencies
  • Lifting and moving patients
  • Scene management, transport, and transfer of care
  • Record keeping, data collection, and patient advocacy

Also included with the cost of the course are the following:

  • Professional Rescuer CPR/BLS certification good for 2 years (includes card and pocket mask)
  • Ambulance Clinical Observation Ride-Alongs with a Local EMS Service
  • Stethoscope + BP Cuff + Glucometer
  • Bandaging & Splinting Equipment
  • N95 Fit Testing and Mask 
  • NIMS 100/200/700 + Blodborne Pathogen Certs

The class includes thorough hands-on practical skills training and assessment in all BLS techniques including the following:

  • Medical patient assessment and management
  • Trauma patient assessment and management
  • Spinal immobilization of a seated or supine patient
  • Long bone immobilization
  • Cardiac arrest management
  • Bag-valve-mask ventilation
  • Traction splinting
  • Vital signs

EMT Refresher Course

Yale EMS periodically offers an EMT Refresher Course for those with expiring EMT licenses.  For YEMS members, the course is typically free of charge. For non-YEMS individuals, the cost of the course has been $300 in the past and includes all testing fees and CPR certification.  The course typically takes place at Yale Health over multiple days. When an EMT Refresher Course becomes available, it will be listed on this website.

For more information or to sign up for the class please contact Lieutenant of Personnel, Ryder Lariviere, at ryder.lariviere@yale.edu.

Our Instructor

Shaun Heffernan, Registered Nurse, Paramedic, EMS-I, has been involved in fire and emergency medical services for over 30 years, beginning as a volunteer firefighter and EMT; he has been a paramedic for over 25 years. He served as an Emergency Department technician at Yale-New Haven Hospital for 3 years and a 911 dispatcher in Branford, CT, before becoming a full-time firefighter/paramedic in 1995. In 2020 Shaun retired from his full-time position Assistant Chief & Fire Marshal for the Branford Fire Department and continues to work with the department as a part-time paramedic. Shaun is currently works as a Registered Nurse in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Yale New Haven Hospital. Shaun provides Advanced Cardiac Life Support training for the Yale School of Medicine and serves on the Board of Advisors for YEMS. He teaches EMT certification courses, CPR instructor courses, and EMT refresher courses for YEMS.

For more information:
Contact ryder.lariviere@yale.edu.