EMTs have a lower level of medical knowledge and training vs Fire fighters. EMTs are the “mail room” equivalent of first repsonders. They have very limited resources to use and a very narrow field in which they can offer medical assistance.
They probably got in over their head and called in for asistance.
You can look up information about the training and curriculum for EMT-Basic providers; it’s probably much more extensive than you think.
An EMT-B course involves more than a hundred classroom hours covering a broad range of subjects, with much attention given to patient assessment. Granted, EMT-B’s are not doctors, but there are a number of interventions they are qualified to perform in the field besides taking someone’s blood pressure.
EMT classifications continue up to EMT-P, commonly referred to as a paramedic. Much of the advanced training received by paramedics covers pharmacology and cardiac care, but the basics are identical.
In Fairfax County, where this occurred, all firefighters are at least certified EMT-B. Each of the 37 stations has an ambulance staffed with a paramedic at all times.