Like so much in EMS, the rules vary widely by state and locality. I was responding to what I felt was an overgeneralized statement by njs.

As I said earlier, I had my NREMT-B and later NREMT-I before applying to the agency I eventually worked at. I certainly did not need agency affiliation to just take the training, let alone get the NREMT certs. That's how the system is in my state. And I know WEMTs who hold registry and do not work for EMS.

Now when it comes to renewing your certification, things get stickier if you are trained at an advanced life support (ALS) level, which is EMT-Intermediate and up. When renewing as an actively employed EMT you must show agency affiliation. If you are not employed as an EMT but want to retain your cert, you must show that you worked for an ALS-capable EMS agency for at least 6 months sometime in your life. This is how many instructors maintain their registry cert, they rely on their earlier field experience.

Bottom line to the original poster: seek out a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course from one of the providers njs linked to, and you will be very well served.