Basically, an EMT is the employee or specialist who can handle emergency medicine. The career field in which they work is considered to be EMS. When someone calls EMS for an emergency, an EMT shows up to perform the medical work that needs to be done.

The training for EMRs is less comprehensive than that for EMTs. It typically includes basic first aid skills, patient assessment techniques, and instruction on how to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Unlike EMTs, EMRs cannot transport patients or administer medications.