I am looking onto taking the EMT basic course at a local community college. I am not doing it to start a new career right away, and was wondering how much work time and retraining/reeducation needs to be done to keep a current certification in this area.

When I got certified as an EMT-B a few years back it was required to do 80 hours(if I remember correctly) every 2 or 4 years to keep up my certification.  

There are two EMT certs. One is National and the other is State. If I have a minute "at work right now" i will check into your state requiremnets. Otherwise the National requires that you do a certain number of Continuing Education or CE credits per year. I cant remember right now but ill check in a min.

My advice, Take the course its good info even if your not intrested in the profession, or keeping your cert.

National Regesitry requires a 24 hour refresher and 72 hours of continuing education hours every 2 years. The basic course will take about 160-180 initial hours( about 9 months in a VoTech of community coll.)

That pretty much sums up my reason for looking into this. I have a full time job now, but I also volunteer as an emergency communications operator (ARES/RACES). I'm looking to get some crossover education, and possibly get involved with DMAT. Also, with the job market the way it is, you never know. In addition, knowing how to help someone medically is valuable no matter what.

In Mass an EMT-B needs 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years, plus the mandatory refresher course and cpr recert.

I may be a little off on the numbers, paramedics have different recert requirements.

good luck with the course, even if you don't want to start a career in this field, working as an EMT is a great part time job, especially if you are in school.

EMTs and Paramedics are permanently certified in Pennsylvania.  The status of that certification can be current or expired.  

To remain current EMTs are required to attend 24 hours of continuing education (Con-Ed) within the three years of their certification to certify for the next three years.  If they fail to do so their certification becomes expired until they complete the Con-Ed.

For me it was some of the best training I ever took.  Started out in college with EMT and worked for a local volunteer basic life support(BLS) ambulance.  Separates the men from the boys when your responsible for the medical care of someone and you can't look over your shoulder to see what the other guy is doing.  After the BLS I went to an advanced life support(ALS) service and rode with a paramedic.  Great experience.  

One of the first conversations I had in EMT class was about being a paramedic.  Everyone wanted to know how long to wait until becoming a paramedic.  Some students signed up for the class before completing EMT.  After 16 years as an EMT I have no regrets in not going onto paramedic.  A well seasoned paramedic that I have rode thousands of calls with commented that you needed to be a good EMT before becoming a paramedic.  I always had a problem hearing breath sounds and never went on.  I did however watch many so-so EMTs go on to be so-so paramedics with no confidence.

I however used the EMT training to get into the local 911 center where I worked as a dispatcher and then supervisor while attending night school for a career in law enforcement.  That was 9 years ago.

Not a week goes by that my EMT training doesn't come into play while on duty.  Car accidents, assaults, rapes, people falling, and a million etc's.  

Bottom line: Take the training it'll help forever!!

Sorry I didnt get back to reply the other day I got swamped in a couple calls. Looks like everyone answered your questions already, but Ill add on one more peice of advice.

When you take the class, go all the way through with it and get your cert. Its just one more thing that you can put on a job resume!