[MichaelCollins]

Obviously paramedics are registered and obviously not everybody is cut out for it. That should go without saying. There are grades of paramedic and I think most firefighting paramedics are likely not the most specialized of all of them, but I feel confident in asserting that nearly any paramedic firefighter in America is qualified to monitor patients in the waiting room of a hospital.

As for the rest, I have a lot of gripes with the American system of healthcare, but the quality of first responders is not among them. If I ever have a heart attack while driving and crash into a tree, I'll be very happy if the volunteer firefighter who cuts me out of my car is also a paramedic. My complaints about the American system will be reserved for the private for-profit doctors they bring me to.

[chrisseaton]

Ah right maybe we in the UK only use the word 'paramedic' to mean the most specialised, advanced trauma life-support level and you use it more broadly. I'm sure all police and firefighters here do get advanced first-aid training.

[JshWright]

We definitely don't use it more broadly (in the industry, anyway... the public certainly mixes them up at times). Paramedics are ALS level care providers in the US.