EMT-Basic Cadet Program


EMT-Basic Training Course
Harvard is one of only two towns in the Commonwealth to offer an EMT cadet program, through a special waiver from the Massachusetts Office of Medical Services. The Bromfield students who are chosen for the program complete a 120-hour EMT-Basic training course, culminating in two state examinations. EMT-certified cadets then respond to emergencies as members of the Harvard Ambulance Service, under supervision and subject to certain restrictions.

The training runs from September through April, and is free of charge. The course is taught by a highly experienced EMT-Paramedic and professional instructor. The class meets each Thursday that school is in session, from 6–10 p.m. Formal instruction begins at 7. (Please see the note below, on Run Reviews.) There are also practical-skills training sessions on occasional Saturdays. Bromfield students who complete the course receive full academic credit. Students must have reached age 16 by August 1 to be eligible for the cadet program.

Adult residents interested in becoming Harvard EMTs are also invited to take the course, at no charge. Both Bromfield students and adult residents interested in the fall class should attend the information session held each spring. For further information, please call 978-456-4110, and leave a message. Someone from the squad will contact you. You may also fill out an application here.

EMT-Basic Training Curriculum
The curriculum includes:

  • - EMT safety and responsibilities
  • - Anatomy and physiology
  • - Lifting and moving patients
  • - Airway management
  • - Patient assessment
  • - Medical emergencies
  • - Trauma emergencies
  • - Behavioral emergencies
  • - Care of infants and children
  • - Geriatric care
  • - Pregnancy complications and childbirth
  • - Ambulance operations
  • - Poisons
  • - Allergic reactions
  • - Cardiac emergencies
  • - Rescue operations


Practical Sessions
These sessions, held on occasional Saturdays, give students the opportunity to practice what they learn in class. They ensure that students can correctly and confidently perform basic functions in a controlled setting before performing them in the field.

Run Reviews
Run reviews begin at 6 p.m. each Thursday that class is held. Attendance is mandatory for cadets, and encouraged for adult students. The purpose is to review recent ambulance responses in Harvard. These discussions are confidential, and meant as learning tools.