BC EMALB First Responder Licensing

Step 1
Certification
Step 2
Online Exams
Step 3
Application

How to get a BC EMALB First Responder Licence. If you are going to respond to 9-1-1/EMS calls at a professional First Responder level in BC, you are legally obligated to obtain and maintain a BC EMALB First Responder Licence. In BC, most Fire Departments, Fire Rescue agencies, and Volunteer First Responder Societies require their members to hold a valid EMALB First Responder Licence as an ongoing condition of employment. The information regarding BC EMALB Licensing processes and policies on this page is intended only to provide you with an overall understanding of the steps required to obtain a First Responder Licence. BC EMALB routinely updates their policies and processes. All EMALB policies should be confirmed with BC EMALB directly.

There are essentially two components to obtaining an initial BC EMALB First Responder Licence in BC. The first is to complete a Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certification course. The second is to complete the online BC EMALB First Responder written Licensing Evaluations and submit an Application for Licence. These two components, Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certification and BC EMALB First Responder Licensing, are presented in 3 sequential steps, below.

Please note that the information on this page pertains to obtaining an "Initial" BC EMALB First Responder Licence. For information about Renewing your existing First Responder Licence, please click here.

  

Step 1
First Responder Certification

First Responder Certification
Step One

Recognized Programs
In order to qualify for an initial EMALB First Responder Licence, you must have completed a First Responder Certification course within the past year. BC EMALB requires that this training is the complete, 40-hour First Responder initial certification course, as they do not recognize shortened First Responder Recertifcation courses for this purpose.

Out-of-Province Training
If you completed your First Responder certification training outside of British Columbia, you should contact BC EMALB directly to confirm whether or not the course you completed qualifies you for EMALB Licensure. The Canadian Red Cross First Responder program is nationally recognized, but some regional training providers may not meet EMALB's requirements.

Step 1A: Register for a First Responder Certification course

  • Click here for First Responder Certification course dates and registration.
  • BC EMALB does not recognize shortened First Responder Recertification courses for this purpose.
  • If you have already completed a First Responder course, and received your corresponding First Responder certificate, you have one year from course completion to complete the EMALB licensing process.
  • If you already hold a current EMALB First Responder Licence, you do not need to complete further training for the renewal process.

Step 1B: Successfully complete your First Responder certifcation course, including the Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certification exams. In BC, to meet EMALB Licensing requirements, your Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certification exams will include two sets of Practical Scenario evaluations, one for Certification and another for Licensing.

  • One Canadian Red Cross First Responder Written Evaluation.
  • 50 Questions with 1.5 hours to complete
  • One Canadian Red Cross First Responder Medical Scenario Practical Evaluation.
  • One Canadian Red Cross First Responder Trauma Scenario Practical Evaluation.
  • Medical emergency scenarios can involve illnesses and medical conditions such as Angina, Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction), COPD, Asthma, Anaphylaxis, TIA/Stroke, and Hypoglycemic Diabetic emergencies.
  • One BC EMALB First Responder Medical Scenario Practical Evaluation.
  • Trauma scenarios can involve physical injuries such as Burns, Femur Fracture, Tension Pneumothorax, Amputation, Impaled Objects, Traumatic Brain Injury (Concussion), and Spinal Cord Injury requiring Spinal Motion Restriction.
  • One BC EMALB First Responder Trauma Scenario Practical Evaluation.

Step 1C: Receive Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certification

  • Medi-Pro uploads you to the Canadian Red Cross database within 10 days of course completion, which activates your Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certificate.
  • Medi-Pro sends you an email with your Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certificate attached as a PDF.
  • Your Canadian Red Cross Certificate is separate from an EMALB Licence, and includes your Course ID number.
  • Medi-Pro also sends an email to BC EMALB, with your course results confirmation and a copy of you First Responder Certificate attached.

Your Canadian Red Cross First Responder Certificate is valid for 3 years, however you only have one year from Certification to complete the online BC EMALB First Responder Written Licensing Evaluations.

  

Step 2
EMALB Written Exams

First Responder Licensing Step 2
Step Two

The EMALB First Responder Written Knowledge Exam and EMALB Written Jurisprudence Exam are both provided in an Online format, and accessed through EMALB's Online Learning portal.

Knowledge Exam
The Knowledge Exam focuses on clinical First Responder skills and principles, such as signs & symptoms of specific medical conditions, assessment procedures, treatment options, and emergency medical equipment.

Jurisprudence Exam
The Jurisprudence Exam focuses on jurisdictional information about EMALB policies, legislated responsibilities and local laws that govern First Responder medical response in British Columbia.

Step 2A: Create/Access your BCeID Profile.

  • You can use your existing BCeID account profile if you already have one.
  • This can be either a "Basic", or "Personal" account, as long as you are the only one with access.
  • A "Business" level BCeID may be problematic for this purpose, and if you already have a Business BCeID you may need to create a separate Basic account.
  • BCeID usernames which do not include any capitalized letters may be less problematic than those with lowercase letters only.
  • Make sure you will be able to remember and reuse the username and password you create, while keeping them secure.

Step 2B: Access the online EMALB First Responder Written and Jurisprudence Exams.

Step 2C: Complete the BC EMALB First Responder Licensing Written and Jurisprudence Exams online.

  • Review BC EMALB's Jurisprudence Exam Guide before starting the online exams.
  • You can access and complete both exams from any computer with internet connection.
  • You are allotted 2 hours for the Written (Knowledge) exam, and the timer starts as soon as you begin.
  • The Jurisprudence exam is not timed, so you can take as long as you need to answer each question accurately.
  • Ensure you have uninterrupted time to complete the exams.
  • Complete the EMALB First Responder Licensing Jurisprudence Exam online.
  • Complete the EMALB First Responder Licensing Written Exam online.
  • You have 3 attempts to successfully complete each exam.
   

Step 3
First Responder Initial Licence Application

First Responder Licensing Step 3
Step Three

Online Application
Once you have received confirmation that you've successfully completed the EMALB Written and Jurisprudence exams you can submit your online Application for an EMALB First Responder Licence.

Email Confirmation
You should immediately receive an automated confirmation email that your Application has been processed. You should then recieve an email from EMALB with your actual First Responder Licence within 2 weeks.

3 Year Term
Your BC EMALB First Responder Licence will be valid for 3 years, at which point you will need to complete the First Responder Licensing Renewal process. You will qualify for the License Renewal process for up to one year after expiration. If your EMALB First Responder Licence is expired for over one year, you will need to re-complete the Initial Licensure process.

Step 3A: Submit an online Application for Licensure form.

  • Answer all personal information questions truthfully and accurately
  • Under PART B: Licence Requested, select...
  • I am applying for:  First Responder Initial Licence
  • I hereby apply for a licence to practice at the  First Responder level

Step 3B: Criminal Record Check.

If this is your initial BC EMALB Licence, you must submit to EMALB a completed Criminal Record Check within one year of submitting your application for licensure. In most communities throughout British Columbia, you can submit a Criminal Record Check, which for this purpose must include a vulnerable sector screening component, at your local RCMP detachment.

It can take several days, or sometimes weeks, for the RCMP to process and return your Criminal Record Check, so you should not anticipate a same-day turnaround. Once the RCMP have returned your completed Criminal Record Check, you can share a copy with BC EMALB.