EMR course
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
Facts checked 7 September 2026
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Part of the route toEmergency Medical Responder·Certificate
An entry-level emergency medical course that prepares you to provide life support and earn your provincial responder licence.
Ways to get this paid for
Government money that can cover this course. Check who qualifies before you pay.
StrongerBC Future Skills Grant
Up to $3,500, once in your lifeBC residents 19 and over. Only courses on the official list at public colleges. Apply online after you register.
Free adult upgrading
FreeGrade 11 and 12 courses and English classes are free at public colleges and school districts. This covers the Grade 11 and 12 prerequisite courses, not the program itself.
WorkBC training funding
Up to $7,500 tuitionIf you are out of work or underemployed, a WorkBC case manager can approve and pay for this training. Get approval before you pay.
Canada Training Credit
Half your tuition back, up to $5,000 in your lifeFederal tax credit. $250 a year builds up from age 26. Claim it on your tax return.
BC Access Grant
Up to $4,000 a yearFor low and middle income students in full-time programs under two years at public schools. Assessed when you apply through StudentAid BC.
THE ROUTE
How this program works, step by step
Grade 11 to the job. Open any step to see what is inside.
The route (8 steps)
For the best view, open the map full screen.
STEP BY STEP
Step by step
The same route as the map, as a list.
Step 1 of 8
Grade 11
⏱ 1 school year- Grade 10 English completion or equivalent language fluency
Step 2 of 8
Grade 12
⏱ 1 school year- General high school graduation (BC Dogwood Diploma) or equivalent mature student status.
Step 3 of 8
What you need to get in
- Minimum 16 years of age (18 or 19 recommended for employment and licensing)
- Valid Basic Life Support (BLS) or Standard First Aid CPR-C certificate
- Valid CPR-C / BLS certification
- Standard First Aid with CPR-C (or BLS)
- Pre-reading package completion prior to Day 1
- Fluency in spoken and written English
Step 4 of 8
How to apply
- Enrol at an accredited institution such as the Justice Institute of British Columbia or St. John Ambulance
- Select a full-time 3-week cohort or a weekend modular option
- Pay course tuition of $1,850 CAD
- Review pre-reading packages covering basic human anatomy and medical vocabulary
Step 5 of 8
EMR course
⏱ 80–105 hours (2–3 weeks)- 80 to 105 hours combining lectures and hands-on clinical simulation labs
- Rapid trauma assessment and medical emergency management
- Airway suctioning, oral airway insertion, and bag-valve-mask ventilation
- Spinal motion restriction, fracture splinting, and commercial tourniquet hemorrhage control
- Administration of symptom relief medications including oxygen, oral glucose, and naloxone
Step 6 of 8
Where to take it
⏱ 12 schools in BC- North Island College — 12 days (About $1,800 for the whole program)
- Alert First Aid Inc. — 15 days (About $2,000 for the whole program)
- Coast Medical Training Incorporated — 15 days (About $2,500 for the whole program)
- Columbia Paramedic Academy / Columbia Learning — 15 days (About $2,200 for the whole program)
- Firemedix Training — 6 weeks (About $2,000 for the whole program)
- First Response Safety Training (Read Fire & Medical) — 15 days (Tuition not yet verified)
- Justice Institute of British Columbia — 3 weeks (About $3,100 for the whole program)
- Medi-Pro First Aid — 15 days (Tuition not yet verified)
- and 4 more, see the list below
Step 7 of 8
Exams and registration after
- Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board (EMALB) provincial written examination
- EMALB practical scenario candidate evaluations
Step 8 of 8
Leads to: Emergency Medical Responder
- Explore Emergency Medical Responder wages, job outlook, and career pathways
SCHOOLS
Where you can take this(12 schools)
Compare tuitions, campus locations, and delivery formats across approved institutions in British Columbia.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.
Justice Institute of British Columbia
New Westminster / Victoria / Kelowna / Chilliwack
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 7 September 2026.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
Tuition changes every year. Confirm on the school's page. Last checked 8 September 2026.
We have not checked this school's tuition yet. See the school's page.