EMT Background Checks: The Complete Guide

EMT background checks protect your patients, the public, your workforce, and your organization. They investigate a candidate’s criminal, educational, and employment history to ensure they are highly qualified. Healthcare employers must be familiar with background checks to maintain compliance.

This guide covers everything you need to know about EMT background checks: what they entail, why they’re important, and what disqualifies candidates.

An emergency medical technician (EMT) background check is an extensive screening of an individual’s history to evaluate their suitability for the job. Healthcare employers conduct these screenings to verify a candidate’s credentials and review details relevant to the position.

Employers conduct these screenings during hiring to ensure they onboard qualified personnel. These screenings include several searches that confirm an applicant’s identity and evaluate their qualifications. An EMT background check can reveal potentially disqualifying results such as drug abuse, patient abuse, or theft.

EMS personnel work with vulnerable populations and must undergo a more thorough screening to protect those communities. EMTs must be qualified to respond to 911 calls, assess a patient’s condition, provide medical care, and safely transport patients. EMT background checks protect a patient’s safety and the employer’s reputation.

An extensive background check program upholds a safe work environment, reduces liability, and protects an organization’s reputation. Healthcare employers must implement the appropriate search types for their industry to hire the right people. Common search types include criminal history and motor vehicle records checks, education, employment, and professional license verification.

Background checks are essential in every organization to build a qualified workforce. This is especially true in healthcare. EMT background checks protect patients and other employees from potential harm by verifying that an applicant is licensed and suitable for the position. These screenings are catered to the healthcare industry and enact thorough measures to help employers find the right care providers.

EMTs are typically required to operate motor vehicles and transport patients. These patients are often highly vulnerable, such as the elderly and disabled. EMTs must be able to transport patients to the hospital while making them feel safe and cared for. They must be qualified to drive safely at high speeds, make on-the-spot decisions to navigate roadways and reach patients quickly, and do the same when transporting patients in critical condition.

Reviewing a candidate’s driving records is crucial to hiring EMTs. EMT background checks assist in hiring safe drivers who protect patients while reducing the risk of accidents, lawsuits, and fines for your organization.

EMT background checks also protect your organization. By ensuring you recruit qualified and insurable personnel, you uphold your company’s reputation and minimize potential negligent hiring claims. Employing individuals in violation of their sanctions can result in hefty fines, and organizations can be subject to legal and civil suits for damages stemming from their employment.

Employers are subject to several federal and state regulations. These regulations influence how employers conduct background checks. Employers and consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) must adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and local ban-the-box laws.

Partnering with a reputable background check company can streamline the screening process. ScoutLogic sports an extensive background check program that reports efficient and accurate results while adhering to legal requirements, helping you hire the right personnel for the job.

EMT background check requirements depend on your organization and the state in which you operate. These screenings tend to be more exhaustive than typical background checks due to the direct patient contact while treating and transporting vulnerable, injured, or ill individuals.

Some healthcare organizations conduct searches of the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) from the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The LEIE lists individuals and organizations prohibited from working in healthcare programs due to several disqualifying factors. Hiring someone listed in the LEIE database can result in significant penalties for your company.

Some organizations conduct searches through the System for Award Management (SAM), a federal database used to check if an individual is prohibited or suspended from contracting with Medicare.

Some employers conduct Fraud Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) searches. These checks search databases to verify that candidates have not committed fraud against the government or abuse against patients for whom they have provided care. FACIS checks are offered at three levels:

• Level 1: Federal Tricare, Medicare, OIG, OFAC-SDN, FDA, and DEA databases, and Medicaid and state debarment sanctions.
• Level 2: Level 1 searches plus additional state sources.
• Level 3: Level 1 and 2 searches plus information from all U.S. states and territories.

Background checks reveal information based on the type of search conducted. The following are some of the common searches included in EMT background checks.

Criminal history

Criminal history checks show the details of a candidate’s pending criminal cases and convictions, including the offense date, type, and severity. Employers don’t rule out applicants with a criminal record, but it can influence hiring decisions, and certain criminal convictions will disqualify a candidate.

Education verification

Education verification confirms a candidate’s past institutions, including names, addresses, contact information, attendance dates, and certificates awarded. These searches reveal a candidate’s honesty about their educational background.

Employment verification

Employment verification confirms a candidate’s past employers, including their names, addresses, contact information, employment dates, and positions held. These searches may reveal employment gaps or employers omitted.

Professional license verification

Professional license verification shows the issue date, license type, expiration date, and validity of an individual’s professional license. These searches confirm qualifications and prevent negligent hiring claims.

Motor vehicle records check

Motor vehicle records (MVR) checks reveal a candidate’s driver’s license information, traffic violations, and points or suspensions. EMTs must drive ambulances as part of their role, so they typically must have commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). These checks show a candidate’s driving record and ensure they are qualified and insurable.

Pre-employment drug test

Pre-employment drug testing promotes safe practices. These screenings commonly consist of a 5-panel drug test that detects amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, PCP, and THC in the applicant’s urine. These tests reveal the candidate’s recent drug use, but cannot show if they have or will abuse substances.

Identity verification

Identity verification establishes a candidate’s name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. These screenings ensure individuals are who they claim to be and reduce identity theft. They reveal if a stolen identity was used to apply for the position.

Sex offender registry search

Sex offender registry searches reveal if an applicant is a registered sex offender at the time of the search. These checks unveil the offender’s aliases, address, conviction state, and physical features.

How far EMT background checks go depends on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and your state laws. Per the FCRA, background checks may extend seven years into an applicant’s history for civil lawsuits, judgments, liens, accounts in collection, and arrests. Bankruptcies cannot be reported after ten years.

However, the seven-year period only applies to positions offering less than $75,000 a year. Employers may review reports since the applicant turned eighteen for positions paying more than $75,000. The FCRA’s time restrictions do not apply to employment history, education history, professional license records, or conviction records.

If your state has an expungement protocol, expunged records will not appear on background checks. Individuals do not have to disclose expunged records and may behave as if they never existed. If employers stumble upon expunged records, they are advised not to use them when considering candidates for a job.

Several factors may disqualify an individual from becoming an EMT. These disqualifying factors are in place to protect the patients and the healthcare organization.

Disqualifying criminal convictions

To protect vulnerable populations, individuals seeking employment as EMTs will likely be turned down if they have any of the following types of convictions:

• Sex offenses
• Violent crimes
• DUIs/major traffic crimes
• Elder abuse or neglect
• Drug-related offenses
• Crimes against children
• Theft

Theft and fraud

Healthcare workers are entrusted with patients’ sensitive personal information, such as their Social Security numbers (SSNs) or bank account information. To protect patients, employers will likely deny EMT applicants with theft and fraud offenses.

Being named on list of excluded individuals/entities

The LEIE restricts certain individuals from working for healthcare programs. Listed people will likely be denied EMT employment.

Lying about past employment

Employment verification can reveal employment gaps and omitted employers. EMT applicants who lie about their employment to hide these gaps will likely be denied employment.

Lying about education

Education verification confirms an EMT applicant’s schooling. Individuals who lie about their credentials will likely be denied employment.

Failing the drug test

Passing a pre-employment drug test is typically a condition for EMT employment. Failing the drug test will likely result in the conditional employment offer being revoked.

Professional license issues

Professional license verification reveals an EMT’s certificate status and whether it’s valid. EMT applicants with an invalid or suspended certificate will likely be denied employment.

Poor driving record

EMTs are required to transport ill and injured patients to the hospital, so their driving record must be positive. If an individual has too many traffic violations, the wrong license class, or major traffic crimes, they will likely be denied employment.