BC EMALB EMR Licensing

Step 1 EMR Certificate

Step 2 Request Exams

Step 3 Online Exams

Step 4 Scenario Exams

Step 5 Application Fees

Maintenance & Renewal

How to get a BC EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence. If you are going to respond to 911 calls as a professional Emergency Medical Responder level in British Columbia, you are legally obligated to obtain and maintain a BC Emergency Medical Assistant's Licensing Board (EMALB) Emergency Medical Responder Licence. 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 an EMR Licence. BC EMALB routinely updates their policies and processes. All EMALB policies should be confirmed with BC EMALB directly.

BCEHS & EMALB
The BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) is governed by BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) and employs EMALB licensed Emergency Medical Responders as an "entry level" ambulance attendant. In some remote and/or rural areas of BC, Emergency Medical Responders are the first responding BCAS ambulance attendants, providing initial emergency medical care until more advanced Paramedics and Advanced Life Support crews respond from neighbouring areas. Many Fire Rescue agencies in BC also provide EMR level medical service, such as the Delta, Prince George, Cranbrook, Sun Peaks and Big White fire departments. Some of them require you to hold a valid BC EMALB EMR License as a hiring requirement, and some may provide EMR training after employment has been secured. Emergency Medical Responders are also commonly employed as remote occupational medics in the oil and energy industry.

Licensing Steps
There are essentially two components to obtaining a BC EMALB Emergency Responder License in BC. The first is to obtain BC EMALB approved Emergency Medical Responder certification. The second is to complete the BC EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licensing process within one year of obtaining your EMR certificate. These two components, EMR Certification and EMR Licensing, are broken down into 5 sequentially manageable steps below. The procedures to maintain and renew your existing EMR Licence are outlined as well.

   

Step 1
EMR Certification

Step One

In order to qualify for an initial EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence, you must have successfully completed an Emergency Medical Responder Certification course within the past year. This could include a complete Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder course, a Canadian Red Cross EMR Bridge course, or a Canadian Red Cross EMR Recertification course.

Step 1A: Register for an EMR Certification course
EMR Courses
Click the link above to view course information, start dates, schedules, and registration options for Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder certification courses in Kelowna and Vancouver, BC.

Step 1B: Complete EMR course
Successful completion of your Emergency Medical Responder course includes full attendance and active participation in all classroom course sessions, as well as the written and practical certification evaluations.

• Successfully complete one Canadian Red Cross EMR Written Evaluation.
• 100 multiple choice questions with a 2 hour time limit.
• Successfully complete two Canadian Red Cross practical scenario evaluations.
• One Medical based Canadian Red Cross EMR Scenario.
• Medical emergency scenarios can involve illnesses and medical conditions such as Angina, Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction), Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Asthma, Anaphylaxis, TIA/Stroke, and Hypoglycemic Diabetic emergencies.
• One Trauma based Canadian Red Cross EMR Scenario.
• Trauma scenarios can involve physical injuries such as Burns, Femur Fracture, Traction Splinting, Tension Pneumothorax, Evisceration, Amputation, Impaled Objects, Traumatic Brain Injury (Concussion), and Spinal Cord Injury requiring Spinal Motion Restriction.
• Evaluations are conducted during the final sessions of your EMR certification course.

Step 1C: Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate
Upon successful completion of your Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder course, and corresponding evaluations, you will receive Canadian Red Cross EMR Certification within the following 10 business days. Your Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate is generated and issued electronically through the online national certification database.

• Medi-Pro uploads you to the national Canadian Red Cross database.
• Medi-Pro sends you an email with your Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate attached as a PDF.
• Your EMR Certificate includes your specific Canadian Red Cross Course Number/Course Code.
• You will refer to this Course Code during the next step.

Your Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate will be valid for 3 years, however you only have one year from date of course conclusion to complete the BC EMALB EMR Licensing Evaluations.

   

Step 2
Request EMALB Licensing Evaluations

Step Two

EMALB Administration
Your BC EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence will be issued by EMALB, and the EMR Licensing Evaluations are arranged and administered through EMALB directly. To do so, you will need most of the information contained in your Emergency Medical Responder certificate. The EMALB Licensing process can be lengthy even at the best of times, and you may encounter unexpected delays so you should start the process as soon as possible after receiving your EMR Certificate.

Request Form Submission
Before being granted access to the corresponding online written exams and/or scheduling your in-person practical scenario evaluations, you will first need to submit a formal request for licensing evaluations through BC EMALB. This is submitted through an online "Request for EMALB EMR Evaluation" form. As you complete the Request for Evaluations form, you may want to provide your Course Number and/or upload a copy of your EMR Certificate but those fields are generally optional. You will also be able to select your preferred locations for the Practical Scenario evaluations on this form. Although geographic proximity and travel considerations may be a factor in your preference, you may also want to view the pre-scheduled dates for upcoming evaluation sessions as well. It might be worth it for you to travel further if it means getting the evaluations completed sooner.

• Evaluation
  Request
• Evaluation Schedule
• Provide the date of your EMR Certification course.
• This is the completion date listed on your Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate.
• Provide your EMR Course Code/Course Number
• The Course Code required corresponds to the "Course Number" provided on your Canadian Red Cross EMR Certificate.
• Please note that the Course Code/Number is different from the unique "Certification Number" also included on your EMR Certificate.
• Provide the name of your EMR Course Provider.
• Your course provider is "Canadian Red Cross" if you completed your EMR course with Medi-Pro.
• Provide your preferred locations for the practical evaluation sessions. The locations will coincide with pre-scheduled examination dates which may be a factor in your preference.
• Note that practical evaluation session dates will not be confirmed until after you complete the online written exams.

   

Step 3
Written and Jurisprudence Exams

Step Three

Online Exams
Once your Request for Evaluation has been submitted, processed and approved by EMALB you will be granted access to the online written exams. The first EMR Evaluations that you will need to access and complete are the Emergency Medical Responder Written Knowledge Exam and Provincial Jurisprudence Exam. The Knowledge Exam focuses on clinical Emergency Medical Responder skills and principles, such as signs & symptoms of specific medical conditions, assessment procedures, treatment options, and medical equipment. The Jurisprudence Exam focuses on jurisdictional information about EMALB policies, legislated responsibilities and local laws that govern Emergency Medical Responder protocols in British Columbia.

BCeID Profile
Both the Written and Jurisprudence Exams are presented online through EMALB's Online Learning Portal, which you will access through your active BCeID Profile and must be successfully completed before moving on to scheduling your Practical Scenario Evaluations.

Step 3A: Create/Access your BCeID Profile.

• BCeID
  Portal
• You can use your existing BCeID account profile if you already have one.
• BCeID usernames which do not include any capitalized letters may be less problematic than those with lowercase letters only.
• 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.
• Make sure you will be able to remember and reuse the username and password you create, while keeping them secure.

Step 3B: Access the online EMR Written and Jurisprudence Exams.

• Online Learning System
• Use your BCeID username to create a new account in the Online Learning System.
• The most reliable way to access/open the Online Learning System is to sign in to your BCeID profile, then click this link.
• EMALB will review the submission and normally grant you access to the exam within 2 weeks.

Step 3C: Complete the BC EMALB EMR Licensing Written and Jurisprudence Exams online.

• Jurisprudence
  Exam Guide
• 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 stop and start as required, but it is recommended to complete the entire Jurisprudence exam in one session.
• Ensure you have uninterrupted time to complete the exams.
• Complete the EMALB EMR Licensing Jurisprudence Exam online.
• Complete the EMALB EMR Licensing Written Exam online.
• You have 3 attempts to successfully complete each online exam.

It's a best practice to successfully complete both the Jurisprudence Exam and the Written Exam well in advance of your anticipated Practical Evaluation sessions. In the event that you are required to re-take either of the online exams, you will want to have plenty of time to review first.

   

Step 4
Practical Scenario Evaluations

Step Four

Medical & Trauma Scenarios
The Practical Scenario Evaluations include one "Medical" based simulation/scenario, and one "Trauma" based simulation/scenario, in which your performance is formally graded by an EMALB appointed examiner. EMALB has pre-planned practical evaluations scheduled throughout the year, at different locations throughout British Columbia.

Evaluation Schedule
Some of the most common locations for EMALB Practical Scenario Evaluations include Victoria, Vernon, Prince George, and Cranbrook, however the EMALB may choose to schedule more locations at their discretion. For example, there may be evaluations scheduled for two-three days of May in Victoria, then another two-three days scheduled for June in Prince George. With more flexibility and willingness to trave, you are more likely to find a date and location before your deadline. In some cases, the EMALB may schedule special evaluation sessions to accommodate large groups from the same course and response agency, however these are not the norm, and should be arranged and confirmed well in advance of the anticipated evaluation date/deadline.

Step 4A: Schedule Practical Evaluations.

• Evaluation Schedule
• If you haven't done so already, you should receive an email from EMALB inviting you to select your Practical Evaluation dates.
• EMALB has an ongoing list of their Practical Examination schedule and locations.
• It is safest to select your top 3 choices of date and location, in order of your preference.
• You should receive confirmation for at least one of your preferred dates and locations.
• Follow up with EMALB by email if you don't receive confirmation shortly after submitting your preferred dates.

Step 4B: Attend the Practical Evaluation session.

• Examination Guidelines
• One Medical based BC EMALB EMR Scenario.
• Medical emergency scenarios can involve illnesses and medical conditions such as Angina, Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction), Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Asthma, Anaphylaxis, TIA/Stroke, and Hypoglycemic Diabetic emergencies.
• One Trauma based BC EMALB EMR Scenario.
• Trauma scenarios can involve physical injuries such as Burns, Femur Fracture, Traction Splinting, Tension Pneumothorax, Evisceration, Amputation, Impaled Objects, Traumatic Brain Injury (Concussion), and Spinal Cord Injury requiring Spinal Motion Restriction.

Evaluation Form

Your overall performance during each scenario evaluation will be documented on a formal evaluation form, including feedback regarding any errors, omissions or incorrectly performed skills. Based on the Evaluator's observations, you will be marked as either "Successful" or "Unsuccessful" for each scenario. In order to receive an EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence, you must receive a "Successful" grade on both the Medical and Trauma scenarios.

Your BC EMALB EMR Licensing Evaluator is required to review your practical evaluations with you, and provide you with the overall result for each Scenario (Medical & Trauma). In some cases, the EMALB Evaluator may discuss specific points with you on the day of your evaluations, or they may simply provide you with feedback and results by email the following day. If presented with a paper copy of the evaluation form while at the exam session, you might be requested to sign the form as acknowledgement that you've been provided the results. If you receive the results by email, you may be requested to reply with your acknowledgement. In either circumstance, you should make sure that the written comments on the results form/email match the verbal explanations you've received, so that you can make efforts to improve your skills and grow as a professional medical responder. This may be partciularly important if you are required to schedule remedial examinations.

The Evaluator's comments and explanation should include specifics pertaining to any deductions. For example, a comment such as "CPR skills poor" is very vague, and does not facilitate an actionable improvement. A comment outlining specific deficiencies such as "CPR compressions were not of sufficient depth" is a more actionable, and relevant statement. It's important that you keep your copy of the examination results for your records and future reference, regardless of the outcome.

Appealing Practical Exam Results
If you are unsuccessful in your Practical Examinations and feel that the deductions imposed were unfair or inaccurate, you can submit an online "Request for Practical Exam Review" form. The Request for Practical Exam Review form must be submitted within 5 days of receiving your practical examination results. In some cases, your results may be verbally provided to you during your examination session, and in other cases you may receive your results by email.
Request for Review

If you end up unsatisfied with the results of your request/review, your next step is to issue a complaint to the BC Ombudsperson, using their online complaint form.
Ombudsperson Complaints

   

Step 5
Licence Application & Fees

Step Five

Application for Licence
Once you have received confirmation that you've successfully completed the EMALB Jurisprudence exam, Written Exam, and Practical Evaluations, you can submit your online Application for an EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence. This process includes the payment of your actual licensing and examination fees which you should not pay until after receiving confirmation that you have been successful in your EMR evaluations.

Form Confirmation
The Licence Application itself is an online form, which you can fill out and submit any time, but your application will not be approved or processed until after you have completed all the corresponding evaluations. Shortly after submitting your online application, you should receive an automated confirmation email from the EMALB system. If you don't receive the corresponding confirmation email, you should re-submit your application or contact EMALB to make sure everything has been correctly documented.

Step 5A: Submit an online Application for Licensure form.

• Licence
  Application
• Ensure all personal information is accurate and complete.
• This includes your current mailing address and email address
• Answer all questions truthfully.
• Under PART B: Licence Requested, select...
• I am applying for:  Initial Licence (Trained in BC).
• I hereby apply for a licence to practice at the  EMR level.

Step 5B: Pay Examination and Licensing Fees.

As of 2022, these fees come to $450 for an initial Emergency Medical Responder licence. If possible, do not pay these fees until after you have received confirmation from EMALB that you have successfully completed all your EMR Licensing Evaluations and you are fully eligible to submit your EMALB Licence application form.

Step 5C: 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.

   

Step 6
Licence Maintenance & Renewal

Step Six

Annual Maintenance
Your ongoing issuance of an active BC EMALB Emergency Medical Responder Licence is subject to annual maintenance requirements, including the documentation of a minimum of 20 patient contacts and a minimum of 20 continuing medical education credits (CME). These Patient Contacts and CMEs must be submitted, documented and verified through the online Emergency Medical Assistant's Continuing Competence System (EMACCS).

Patient Contacts
Documented patient contacts must include providing Emergency Medical Responder level interventions for someone, as the intial care provider. This care and contact, including your name, the date, the location, patient assessment findings, treatments provided and interventions, should be thoroughly outlined in a formal patient care report. Patient Contact Records should be physically and/or electronically stored and kept accessible for verification and audit purposes.

Continuing Medical Education Credits
CME credits are allocated for pre-determined courses and activities, based on course length, relevance to Emergency Medical Responder duties, and active participation. Different courses and activities are worth different amounts of CME credits, usually between 1-3 credits although there are some extensive courses that worth more. Some CME credits may be obtained through formal in-class courses, some through online elearning courses, and some through workplace training and skills upkeep. Your employer may have specific set of CMEs established within the EMALB system, but you may also seek other training opportunities to meet your annual 20 credit requirement.

Credit Substitutions
In the event that you are unable to submit and document the minimum 20 patient contacts throughout the calendar year, you may substitute Patient Contacts for CME credits on a one-for-one basis. For example, if you have only documented 15 patient contacts, but have completed 25 CME credits, you can apply the 5 CEM surplus to your Patient Contact deficit and meet the minimum requirements. However, you cannot substitute surplus Patient Contacts to make up for CME credit shortfalls.

5 Year Renewal
Provided you meet these yearly requirements, your EMR Licence will remain valid for a 5 year term, at which point you will need to re-apply for EMR Licence Renewal, and pay the corresponding Licence Renewal Fees. EMR Licence Renewal fees are traditionally $50 per 5 year term, and do not require any formal knowledge or practical evalautions.

Step 6A: Create an EMACCS Profile.

• EMACCS
  Guide
• EMACCS
  Platform
• Your EMACCS profile is created and accessed through your BCeID profile.
• The training provider(s) for your CME courses and activities do not have access to your personal EMACCS profile.
• It is your responsibility to document the completion of each CME course/activity within your EMACCS profile.
• You must also be able to verify your completion of the courses/activities through certification and training records outside the EMACCS system.

Step 6B: Document CME Credits.

• CME
  Credits
• Access your EMACCS profile to document a minimum of 20 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits every year.
• BC EMALB has a list of Pre-Approved Activities and corresponding CME credit values.
• Activities must be documented within the EMACCS system in order to receive credit.

Step 6C: Document Patient Contacts.

• EMACCS
  Platform
• Access your EMACCS profile to document a minimum of 20 Patient Contacts every year.
• If you don't contact enough patients by the submission deadline, you can substitute CME credits for Patient Contacts.
• This is a one-for-one substitution, and must be over and above your minimum 20 CME credits.
• Patient Contacts cannot be substituted for CME credits.

Step 6D: Licence Renewal Application.

• Licence
  Application
• Submit EMALB's online Application for Licensure form every 5 years, before your current EMR Licence expires.
• Under PART B: Licence Requested, select...
• I am applying for:  Licence Renewal
• I hereby apply for a licence to practice at the  EMR level
• Pay EMALB's $50 License Renewal fee.