Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Branch
Last updated on April 2, 2025The Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Branch provides administrative support to the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board by:
- reviewing training programs;
- administering examinations;
- issuing and renewing licences;
- ensuring continuing competence requirements are met;
- managing complaint files; and
- developing and implementing policy on behalf of the board.
The branch is the main contact for emergency medical assistants, employers or the public looking for information about licensing requirements, licence status, and complaints about emergency medical assistants.
The branch is led by the director, also referred to as the registrar. All branch staff are employees of the Ministry of Health, and branch funding is provided by the ministry.
Statistics
As of April 1, 2025, there are 17,404 EMAs licensed in British Columbia.
| Licence Category |
# of EMAs April 1, 2025 |
|---|---|
| EMA First Responder (EMA FR) | 7,283 |
| Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) | 4,333 |
| Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) | 4,789 |
| Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) | 833 |
| Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) | 148 |
| Infant Transport Team (ITT) | 18 |
| Total EMAs in BC | 17,404 |
Legislation and Regulations
The Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board and the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Branch operate under the following legislation and regulations:
- Emergency Health Services Act
- Emergency Medical Assistants Regulation
- Emergency and Health Services Regulation
- Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board Regulation
Section 11.1 of the Emergency Health Services Act relates to emergency medical assistants' obligations regarding advance directives. For more information, please read the EMA Special Bulletin (PDF, 525KB) on advance directives.
Other legislation and regulations that affect emergency medical assistant practice include:
BC EMA Licence Status Report
For Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Branch contact information, mailing address, and departmental contacts, see the Contact Us page.