First Responder
First Responders fall somewhere between Advanced First Aid and an EMT-Basic. The First Responder class, which is a minimum of 41 hours, teaches advanced First Aid techniques, in addition to some basic oxygen therapy and airway adjuncts. First Responders also learn about cervical/ spinal immobilization as well as AED skills.

EMT-B (Basic)
EMT's in Pennsylvania go through a minimum of 130 hours of training which includes classroom lecture, practical sessions, and ER clinical time. Topics of the EMT class include treating life threatening emergencies, muscular skeletal injuries, common medical emergencies,childbirth, and problems of pediatric patients, lifting and moving patients, environmental emergencies, extrication from automobiles, and over responsibilities and operations of an EMT's role in EMS.

EMT-P (Paramedic)
Paramedics in Pennsylvania go through a minimum of 212 didactic and 232 clinical hours of training which include classroom lecture, practical sessions, ride-along preceptorship, and clinical sessions in places such as the hospital ER, operating room, IV team, etc.

PHRN
A PHRN in the state of Pennsylvania is mostly equivalent to a Paramedic when it comes to what they can and cannot do in the prehosptial setting. In some instances a PHRN can run IV pumps and other equipment as well as administer other medications that a paramedic normal cannot do without additional training. The distinct difference is that a PHRN is a Registered Nurse. RN's do no generally need to go through the entire Paramedic course.