Emergency Medical Services

Training Process

Emergency pre-hospital medical care is delivered by a staff of state-licensed firefighter/paramedics. The training process to become a paramedic is divided into three phases. The first phase begins with formalized classes at a local hospital leading to state certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. Northbrook members are trained at Highland Park Hospital and the South Lake County Emergency Medical System.

Paramedic education is next, with more than a thousand hours of classroom lecture, hospital clinical experience, and a minimum of one hundred patient contacts. During the field-training portion of the process, the paramedic student is monitored by a supervising paramedic. The final phase prior to licensure as a paramedic consists of passing a state exam and an oral interview/exam with the Physician Medical Director at the designated Resource Hospital.

Licensure

Licensure marks the beginning, not the end, of the paramedic's education. Equipment, medications and procedures change rapidly. In order to maintain their licensure, the paramedics must successfully complete 30 hours of continued education of additional classroom, in-hospital training hours and a written examination on an annual basis. Northbrook Fire Department provides the required paramedic continued education through a contract with Highland Park Hospital staff at the fire stations each month.

File of Life Program

Every second matters. During a medical emergency, it is not uncommon to find patients who are unconscious or confused. Without access to vital information such as medical history, current medications, and allergies, it can make treating patients difficult. Often times, immediate family cannot answer some of these questions in times of panic.

With the File of Life Program, a small envelope with a magnetic back goes on your refrigerator. The envelope has a custom form that has all the information needed to treat you or your loved one. To receive a free File of Life envelope, visit the Northbrook Fire Department headquarters at 740 Dundee Road. Download and print out a new medical information form here.