What is an "EMT" or "EMP"?
 

About 15 minutes ago in LAX T4 an official looking fellow issued an uncommonly loud whistle just outside security and shouted something that sounded like "Raoul, you've got an EMT right there" at which point every TSA employee raised a chorus that sounded like the collective cheer of a sports team and shut everything down for the next ten minutes or so. Then they gave antother cheer and started everything up again.

My question: what's an "EMT" or "EMP"?

Not sure why this is in the AA forum, but...

The one usage of EMP that I know of is electromagnetic pulse. Electromagnetic weapons use such EMPs to damage other electronic devices. EMPs are also byproduct of nuclear weapon detonation.

I have no idea if this has anything to do with what you encountered and why the TSA employees were cheering. Maybe something they were screening was interfering with their equipment?

-FlyerBeek

I have seen this before. I believe it's a drill because all the TSA folks seemed quite cool about it. I was going through the metal detector as it happened and the TSA guy there said not to worry as it was not me.

I asked him what they shouted, and he said he was not allowed to say!

An EMT is a paramedic.

I posted it in the American AAdvantage forum because it took place in the American terminal. Is there another forum that is more in keeping with FlyerTalk etiquette?

When it's about the TSA, you'll find those that love and hate that agency in this forum:

Travel Safety/Security

You might be interested in this thread over there where they shouted a different word:

LAX T3 TSA announces "BRAVO!" Terminal grows silent....

Emergency Medical Tech.

Is that the case in Canada? It's definitely not the case here in the Bay Area, as an EMT cannot provide the same level of medical care as a paramedic. We have three firefighters on our engines, two of which are EMT's, but only one who is a paramedic.

There are different levels of EMT's in the United States. EMT-A (or B) is a Basic EMT and the ones you commonly think of on ambulances. EMT-I's exist only in certain states and can do some more advanced things such as intubation that a paramedic can do and EMT-P's are paramedics (or "Advanced LIfe Support". Each state in the US varies considerably but this is the general rule.

What about EMS? ;)

Sanosuke!

Extra Meal Ticket?

Emergency Medical Service.

I saw the same drill in LAX T2 about three months ago. I also could not hear the initial call, but I remember the call-and-response (all TSA people immediately picked it up and shouted the response). They did explain at the end that it was some kind of drill. I didn't even bother asking, since I knew I wouldn't get any answers.

Edward

It's also the metal conduit that electric wiring in a lot of homes and businesses is run in.

Usage: "Hey, home depot dude, where do you guys keep the three quarter inch EMT?"

--PP