Category Archives: Steve Farzam

The Difference Between a Panic Attack and an Anxiety Attack

An anxiety attack and panic attack tend to be used interchangeably, however, they are not entirely the same. While they are similar in that they both increase your heart rate and cause a shortness of breath and dizziness, that is all they have in common. While the symptoms of both may be similar, each has their own subtle differences.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Health professionals use what is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to clinically define and diagnose health conditions. Per the DSM-5, a panic attack can be categorized as an expected or unexpected attack. Much like its namesake, an unexpected panic attack is not expected and occurs without an obvious cause. These typically will occur due to a phobia or other external stressors.

An anxiety attack, on the other hand, is not recognized by the DSM-5. Instead, it defines anxiety as a core component of several illnesses that are identified as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and trauma-related disorders.

Panic Attack: A panic attack usually occurs out of nowhere, and causes an intense, sudden feeling of fear, terror, apprehension, or nervousness. They are sometimes an “expected” panic attack because it is brought on by a known stressor, like a phobia. The symptoms tend to peak in a 10-minute time frame, however, some can last much longer and occur in succession. Sometimes, the symptoms are so severe that it can disrupt the entire day, and it is not uncommon for those that experience a panic attack to continue to feel stressed, worried, and out-of-sorts for the remainder of the day following an attack.

A combination of four or more of the following symptoms characterizes a panic attack:

Accelerated heart rate
Excessive sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Feeling of choking
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or abdominal distress
Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint
Derealization or depersonalization
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Fear of dying
Numbness or tingling sensations
Chills or hot flashes

Anxiety: An anxiety attack does not have a clinical recognition, therefore, the symptoms can be similar to those of a panic attack, but are more open to interpretation. Anxiety tends to intensify over a period of time, unlike a panic attack. Anxiety is also correlated with excessive worry and, if the worry or anticipation of something increases to a stress level that is overwhelming, it can feel like an attack. The symptoms tend not to be as severe as a panic attack, however, they can be long-lasting, stretching over days, weeks, and sometimes, months. These symptoms include:

Muscle tension
Trouble sleeping and concentrating
Fatigue
Restlessness and irritability
Increased heart rate and startle response
Shortness of breath
Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint

Panic and anxiety attacks can happen to anyone and easily disrupt daily life. If you or someone you know is experiencing these attacks, talking to your doctor will be the first step in seeking treatment.

Beware of These Common Household Items That Could Poison Your Child

Leave a reply

In the United States, there are two children that die and more than 300 children under the age of 19 that are treated in emergency rooms everyday due to unintentional poisoning. While many of the chemicals used in the home are labeled with clear warning labels, there are everyday household items without labels that can pose a serious hazard to children as well. Beware of these common household items and ensure they are secure in your home.

Cosmetics and Personal Care

According to a 2016 report from the National Capital Poison Center, cosmetics and personal care products are the number one culprits of unintentional poisoning of children. Keep your makeup, skin-care and hair-care products, nail polish remover, and other toiletries in a cabinet or drawer where your child can’t reach them. Take extra precaution and add child locks to any cabinets they may be able to access.

Medication

All medication and pharmaceuticals, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements should be stored in their original container, out of reach of your child. Again, take extra precaution and add child locks to any cabinets they may be able to access. There is no such thing as a 100% child-proof lock or container, so be sure to keep these out of reach and dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired medication safely. You can do this by mixing them with coffee ground or kitty litter or turn them in at a local take-back program.

Household Cleaners

Bleach and drain cleaner are two of the most common household cleaners that can be fatal to children should they gain access to them. All household cleaners, including laundry and dishwasher detergent, should be stored in a cabinet with a lock or on a high shelf. While it might be more convenient to keep these close to or under the sink, these products contain an abundance of chemicals that can easily poison your child should they come across it. Also, keep them in their original containers, which often contain a childproof closure.

Topical Preparations

Items such as diaper rash creams, lotions, acne medications, camphor-based ointments like calamine – all of these products are poisonous if they are ingested. After every use of these items, ensure you are storing them where they cannot be reached by your child. Additionally, after every diaper change, put your diaper changing products out of your child’s reach.

Toys and Small Items

Toys with batteries, silica gel packets found inside shoe boxes, holiday decorations, coins, bubbles, and arts and crafts are just a selection of items that can be poisonous to your child. Supervise them when they are using arts and craft supplies and keep away batteries and small magnets.

Heart Attacks: Risk Factors, Warning Signs, and How to React

Leave a reply

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. That’s more than 2,000 heart attacks per day. Also known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when blood is prevented from reaching the heart. This is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries from fats, cholesterol, and other harmful substances. As blood flow is inhibited, the heart can become damaged, or portions of it may be destroyed.

Controlling Risk Factors

There are many risk factors that can contribute to the likelihood of having a heart attack, some of which are beyond anyone’s control. For example, men over 45 and women who are 55 or older are far more likely to experience a heart attack. Additionally, family history and genetics can play a part.

Yet there are many factors that you can control and, through lifestyle changes, you can reduce the danger to your heart and your life. As high cholesterol contributes to the risk of heart attacks, eating a healthier diet can help. You may also need medication from a doctor to get your cholesterol under control. Quitting smoking and stopping recreational drug use can also have a big impact on your risks of having a heart attack.

Furthermore, talk to your doctor about starting a new exercise program. Regular physical activity can promote better heart health.

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

While the signs and symptoms of a heart attack vary, these are the most common indications that you’re experiencing a heart attack:

Ache, pressure, tightness, or squeezing sensation in the chest or arms, which may spread to the jaw, neck, or back
Nausea
Heartburn or indigestion
Abdominal pain
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Cold sweats
Dizziness

What to Do in the Event of a Heart Attack

If you recognize these symptoms, act quickly and call 9-1-1 for medical assistance. Many heart attacks prove fatal simply because people ignore these early warning signs. By the time they do seek help, it’s too late. If you’re unable to call for help for any reason, ask someone else to call for emergency services.

When you do see a doctor, they may prescribe nitroglycerin, either temporarily or as a long-term treatment. Similarly, your doctor may advise you to take chewable aspirin to help reduce the symptoms of a heart attack. In any case, you should avoid taking any medication, unless instructed to do so by your doctor.

A heart attack is a serious condition, even though the symptoms may not seem alarming at first. By changing your lifestyle and following your doctor’s instructions, you can reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack. Follow healthy heart advice, especially if you’ve already had one heart attack.

First Aid Tips for Parents

Leave a reply

One of the most stressful parts about being a parent is dealing with a child’s injuries. While your children may get banged up pretty often, knowing just a few first aid tips can help.

Treating an Open Cut or Scrape

A bleeding wound can be among the most alarming, but cleaning the area with soap and warm water often reveals that the wound isn’t as bad as it first seemed. After it has been cleaned, dab the area with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. In some cases, treat the injury with an antibiotic ointment or spray and dress it in a clean bandage. If the wound doesn’t stop bleeding after a few minutes, you should take your child to an emergency room.

In either case, clean the wound every day and apply a new sampling of antibiotics. Dress it in a fresh bandage. If the wound was serious, your child may be hospitalized and caregivers will take care of redressing the wound.

Treating Burns Quickly is Vital

As soon as your child comes to you with a burn, stop the burn, rinse the affected area under cool running water. Otherwise, you can wet a washcloth with cold water and apply that to the burn. Either way, continue to cool the area until the pain subsides. Dress in a clean, loosely wrapped bandage. In cases where the burn covers more than one-quarter of an inch or is more severe, presenting with white or brown skin, take your child to the emergency room for treatment.

Similarly, if the burns are on the face, genitals, or hands, your child needs to see a doctor immediately. While waiting for an ambulance, covering your child with a clean sheet or sterile gauze can help reduce the risk of infection.

After the initial treatment, monitor your child for infection. If blisters pop of their own accord or the skin breaks, treat with an antibiotic solution and cover with a clean, loosely fitted bandage. Swelling, redness, discharge, or tenderness are signs of infection and require immediate treatment from a doctor.

The key to treating any injury to your child is to clean the affected area and keep it covered to prevent infection. In cases of insect stings and small splinters, remove the foreign object, before cleaning the wound. Where the debris is larger and deeper, such as a shard of glass, clean around the wound and leave intact, until a trained caregiver can determine the best course of action. While some injuries may be minor and can be treated at home, more severe injuries require immediate and professional medical attention.

Your Guide to Becoming an EMT

Leave a reply

While technology is eliminating the need for some jobs, we will always need paramedics: In fact, EMT job growth is expected to explode by up to 33% within the next two years. So, how can you enter this career, which is both financially and emotionally rewarding? Here are three simple steps to pursue your future as an EMT!

Do You Have What it Takes?

Becoming an EMT requires more than just a desire to help people. To begin, you need a high school diploma or equivalent, along with a clean criminal record. If this describes you, you may be qualified to pursue this type of career, provided that you have also reached your eighteenth birthday.

It’s also important that you possess certain skills, such as the compassion to relate to your patients on a personal level and the ability to get along well with diverse co-workers. Listening and communication skills are also important because you’ll need to explain situations to your patients and follow the instructions other caregivers relate to you. Finally, physical strength is important, because there is much lifting and bending involved in the day to day activities of an EMT.

Get Your Training and Certification

This is a multi-step process that begins with obtaining basic CPR certification, but it also involves several other training and certification courses. Once you have CPR training, you’ll need to pursue your EMT-B certification, which is the basic certification for most EMT personnel. The courses for certification can take anywhere from three to six months to complete with a tuition of $500 to $900.

Once you have your EMT-B training completed, it will be time for you to take the National Registry EMT-Basic exam. This is a computer test that adapts to your level of knowledge. The more you know, the more difficult future questions will become. The test is intended to establish the full range of your knowledge.

Advancing Your Career

From here, you have a few choices. You can either begin working as a paramedic immediately, or you can pursue additional training to get your EMT-I (EMT Intermediate) certification. In either case, you’ll eventually have to enroll in paramedic school, which requires 1,300 hours of training and will earn you an associate degree. Tuition costs vary, depending on the community college or technical school in which you enroll. If you obtain employment as a EMT-B/firefighter, your fire department may pay a portion of the tuition.

Paramedic school will teach you more advanced procedures, such as administering an IV and learning how to interpret echocardiogram (EKG) readings. You’ll also learn advanced human anatomy and biology, and college level math and English. Next, you’ll get certified as an ambulance driver, as well. Once you’ve fully completed this training and earned your degree, it will be time to take the National Registry exam for paramedic.

The process for becoming a paramedic is long and challenging, but it can lead to a rewarding career. If you’re interested in helping others and changing lives, this may be the right career path for you. Taking on the title and responsibilities of paramedic can lead you into a worthwhile career and one that will always be in demand.

How To Make Emergency Preparedness Kits For Your Home

Leave a reply

Disasters are unfortunately more common than many of us may realize. In fact, as of October 2017, America witnessed at least 15 natural disasters that include two floods, seven severe storms, three tropical cyclones, one drought, an unprecedented streak of wildfires, and other calamities. Altogether, the weather and climate have claimed 323 lives, and each disaster has cost nearly $1 billion each, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Although towns, states, and the national government have plans in place to respond to crises when they arise, in many cases, individuals must rely on their own initiative in order to remain safe when disaster strikes. With that in mind, individuals and families alike should create emergency preparedness kits stocked with essential items so that they can be prepared when Mother Nature comes knocking.

The Essentials: Food, Water, and Medicine

Be sure to pack at least three-days’ worth of non-perishable food, like canned goods, in your emergency preparedness kit. You’ll also want to stock at least one gallon of water, per day, for days for each person in your household; for example, a family of four would need 12 gallons of water to last them three days. This water will be used for both drinking, cooking, and bathing or sanitation.

Furthermore, to treat any injuries or ailments that may arise after a disaster, you’ll want to have a first aid kit handy. This should include bandages, antiseptic wipes, prescription medications, and more.

Basic Supplies

Key utilities in a disaster scenario include a NOAA weather radio to receive updates from the outside world, a flashlight and LED headlamp, extra batteries, cell phone charger and backup battery, pliers and tools, a whistle, and flares. Round out your emergency preparedness kit with dust masks to filter contaminated air, plastic sheeting and duct tape to create shelters-in-place, a heat reflective emergency blanket, garbage bags, moist towelettes, feminine products, plastic ties, a manual can opener, and local maps.

Additional Items

To be as prepared as possible for any situation, you’ll need more than a standard emergency kit, so consider adding supplies like non-prescription medications—like pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids, and so on—glasses and contact solution, matches, candles, a fire extinguisher, warm blankets or sleeping bags, and changes of clothing. It’s also a good idea to pack some family documents, like personal identification and insurance policies, as well as cash or checks in a waterproof container.

Maintenance

Your kit isn’t finished once you stock it with all of the items on the list. Instead, you’ll need to continue to check it regularly. Inspect the kit twice a year to see if any items have expired or become damaged, and if so, discard and replace them. You’ll also want to update your kit as your family needs change; for example, if you welcome a baby home, you’ll want to include diapers and formula in your kit as well.

Getting to Know Steve Farzam as an Individual

Steve Farzam

Steve Farzam is probably one of the most popular personalities in Santa Monica. You might say that he is the COO of one of the most popular hotels in the city so you could expect that, but that’s not really true.

Although, that may be one of the reasons, but Steve Farzam personally has a lot to his name that has earned him most of the popularity that he enjoys today. He has done more things for the community than most people at his level, and apparently has no intentions to stop doing that anytime soon.

He has set a great example for the whole hospitality industry by promoting eco-friendly initiatives through the operations of Shore Hotel – quite a brave move to say the least. However, despite his efforts for the community even if that means letting the profitability of the company get affected in a negative way, Shore Hotel has actually been putting up an impressive growth over the years.

In fact, it’s arguably the most popular place to stay in Santa Monica today. Steve has also helped employees develop their skill set, and hence inspired them to put in their best which has resulted in the guests really enjoying their stay at the hotel, making them feel at home.

Steve and His Contributions to the Community

Well, yes, that’s what we have been getting at. Although Steve is a COO and apparently a fairly successful one, there are things that probably define him much better than that. And there seem to be many people out there that would vouch for Steve being a true community man.

After Steve got his paramedic certification from the Southwestern College, he decided it’s time to give back to the community. The first known community service of his was joining the spcaLA and working with the Disaster Animal Response Team.

He joined the team as an EMT, while the other members were trained professionals who would go and rescue animals in times of disaster. He worked with them for a while and then later went on to join another community service to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina. However, he continued his support to spcaLA by making a generous donation of a Ford Crown Victoria.

He spent a lot of time to travel to Louisiana and help people who had suffered a lot of losses due to the natural tragedy. However, it wasn’t the only time Steve took time out of his extremely busy schedule as a COO to give back to the community.

He is apparently also known for making generous donations to community organizations that help the community in different ways. He had helped the Westside Food Bank feed more hungry stomachs by making them a donation far bigger than what they usually receive.

Mr. Farzam has once also said that he always feels pleased to help the less fortunate people and members of the community that are struggling to make ends meet. One of his spokespersons had once explained Steve’s passion for the community and also his love for the four-legged creatures.

And if you don’t know Steve and are about to dismiss it as a marketing gimmick, then let us tell you that there has also been an incidence where Steve reportedly risked his own life to save the life of a driver. The driver was stuck in a pickup following an unfortunate accident, and the vehicle had already started catching fire by the time Steve could do anything about it.

But that didn’t stop Steve from helping the man, and thanks to his paramedic skills, he was able to prevent things from getting worse and ensuring the injured driver was safe until help arrived. He was awarded the Medal of Valor for this brave effort by the Supervisors of the San Diego County Board of Burn Institute.

Finally, Steve never shies away from his responsibilities as an employer, too. In fact, you could probably say that he actually goes out of his way to help his employers get better at what they do, so that it helps them build a better career.

His employees feel glad to be working for an employer like him as he actively invests in their education. This obviously helps them get much better at their job, helping them grow way faster in their career than they otherwise could.

Steve Farzam and His Love for the Community

Steve Farzam is currently working as a COO, but he is actually known for a lot of things beyond his profession or his job as the COO. Even as a COO (of Shore Hotel in Santa Monica), however, he has managed to accomplish quite a bit.

While the consistent and steady growth of Shore Hotel and the reputation they enjoy in Santa Monica is certainly something that may impress many, it’s things like investing huge amounts of money into its employees’ education and working on initiatives that promote an environment-friendly approach that are really some of the most unique achievements a hotel or its management could boast of.

Steve Farzam ensured that the success and growth of Shore Hotel was far from the only goal for the management. He believes in placing a lot of emphasis in the success of his employees as well, and being more respectful of the environment is one of his key areas of focus, too.

Apart from that, Steve has also made some surprising contributions to many social causes, which is probably something quite rare for a COO of a well-known company. He has been actively giving back to the community and strongly believes in doing so. He has apparently been working hard on making things more eco-friendly, as well as making contributions to the community that help people live a better quality of life.

Right after getting his paramedic certification, Steve joined a community service that helped rescue animals stuck in disaster situations. He later went on to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

However, he also continued his support to the Disaster Animal Response Team by gifting them a vehicle, which must obviously have come as a big help for them. The reason he is believed to be a true community man by many, however, is that he once also ended up risking his own life to save the life of a driver stuck in a vehicle after a dangerous accident.

This extremely brave effort from Steve was widely recognized and appreciated, and he also received the Medal of Valor from the Burn Institute by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Being a paramedic, he was able to handle the situation as a professional would, and although the man was badly stuck in the vehicle, he managed to restrict the situation from getting worse till help arrived and also provided the injured man with some emergency professional assistance.

There are many more social contributions to Steve’s name that may have not been much talked about, but are probably still worthy of appreciation. From personally going to California to help and feed the hungry people himself (despite his extremely busy schedule at Shore Hotel) to providing immediate help and assistance to those injured in awful tragedies, Steve Farzam has certainly did more things for the community than one can expect of someone leading a successful company as a COO with a very busy schedule.

Steve being a “community man” is something even his employees would probably vouch for. There have been videos of employees talking about how they feel great working at Shore Hotel, thanks to the great management and their employer (Steve) who have been constantly working to help them advance in their career, which not many employers bother doing.

Steve has been making sure his employees go for regular training sessions as well as also actively invests in their education. This helps them improve their skills and progress in their career faster than they otherwise could.

This is obviously a rare thing to do by an employer given that profitability of the company is usually the main focus for many. However, if you ask one of Steve’s employees, you would get a different answer than what you may be used to when talking to employees working for other companies.

Also, if you couldn’t already guess, Steve is an avid animal lover as well, and right from starting to work with the Disaster Animal Response Team, he has been contributing to make the world a better place for the four-leg creatures.

He decided he want to do something for the community when he was in college and working on getting his paramedic certification. Of course, his education helped him quite a bit in his mission to help the community, including in the case where he helped save the life of a man.

Finally, despite all the social work and helping the employees’ improve their skill set (which obviously can be a bit hard on the company’s revenues), Shore Hotel has been showing a steady growth. In fact, it currently sits at one of the top few positions when it comes to the best hotels in Santa Monica.

Steve Farzam and His Passion for the Community

There are probably not many people in Santa Monica who haven’t heard of Steve Farzam. He is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Shore Hotel, and boasts of some unique achievements for a COO of a hotel.

He has been actively working for the betterment of the community, and his contributions have also been widely recognized. His push for eco-friendly initiatives and working for environment sustainability are believed to have helped the community to a great extent.

This is probably the reason Shore Hotel continues to win awards for its environment-focused innovation, even years after its establishment.

An Introduction

Although we have talked a bit about Steve Farzam and his accomplishments, let’s try to know him in a bit more detail.

Steve grew up in Los Angeles, California, and his achievements are actually a result of an ongoing journey, which started when he assisted his family in managing their family business – the Ocean View Hotel. It’s at this time when Steve developed a deep level of attachment with the hospitality industry, and he probably felt that there’s something missing that he should work on.

And this is what led to his desire of filling the gaps and giving back to the community.

Education

Steve got his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the California State University, and then went on to get a paramedic certification from Southwestern College. The type of education he decided to get also helped him give back to the community in a better way.

It may even have been his degree in Sociology that was a part of his inspiration to work on improving the quality of life of people in the community.

Community Services

The community services and dedication towards the community is something that has been one of the highlighting aspects of Steve Farzam’s life. He didn’t waste any time in following his passion of helping the community as soon as he completed his education.

The first major community service he did was joining the Disaster Animal Response Team as an EMT with the spcaLA. He used to offer his professional services as a volunteer there.

The members of this team used to help rescue animals in times of an emergency or a disaster. This community service apparently being the first major thing Steve did after college is probably something worthy of appreciation, especially given that he always had the choice of simply joining his family business or working towards building a professional career, as many others in a similar position might do.

But this was just the start of giving back to the community for Steve. He later ended up spending a considerable of time and putting in a serious amount of efforts to help people in Louisiana after it was struck by Hurricane Katrina. He traveled to the places where people had been affected by the natural disaster to help them.

At the same time, however, he didn’t stop assisting spcaLA in their efforts. He probably strongly believed in the cause of preventing animal cruelty, which the team he was working with represented and was making an effort for. He made a generous contribution to their mission by donating a vehicle – the Ford Crown Victoria.

Needless to say, the vehicle was probably a big help for the Disaster Animal Response Team, something that may have helped them rescue many innocent lives.

Community service is probably something Steve really believes in; and something that he apparently doesn’t mind going the extra mile for. This is because he once put his own life on the line to save the life of an individual who was trapped in a car that had caught fire. It goes without saying that, if not for Steve’s extremely brave effort, the individual might have faced fatal consequences.

This was highly appreciated by the Burn Institute, and its San Diego County Board of Supervisors decided to recognize Steve’s valiant effort by awarding him the Medal of Valor – perhaps a very rare accomplishment.

Finally, Steve Farzam also considers the education and career growth of his employees at Shore Hotel as an important matter to focus on. For this reason, he actively invests in the education of as many as 115 of his employees, that are a part of what’s the only LEED Gold certified hotel in Santa Monica, again something that can be termed as quite a unique achievement.

Steps To Become An Emergency Medical Technician In the USA

Getting certified as an Emergency Medical Technician actually involves following a process. You need to follow some steps to ensure that you are capable of working as an Emergency Medical Technician, as well as apply for the certification for a particular state.

It’s actually a national-level certification, after which you will be free to apply for a particular state’s license as well. The very first step of the process is passing a two hour exam offered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT). NREMT is a non-profit organization, ensuring that the candidates applying for the certification are capable enough of being an Emergency Medical Technician.

What the exam consists of?

Once you pass the NREMT exam, you will get qualified for obtaining the EMT certification. This exam actually consists of two sections, including the Cognitive and Psychomotor.

The first one involves a written exam of two hours, during which the applicants may be made to answer anywhere between 70-120 questions. Its focus is usually covering the basics of EMT certification, so the topics you will be asked questions on may include proper ventilation, bleeding, shock management, cardiac arrests, oxygen delivery, and so on.

On the other hand, the Psychomotor tends to test the practical skills of the applicants. It’s actually considered the real test, as the candidates are made to handle trauma and even panicking situations, which is something an Emergency Medical Technician may come across quite often.

They include making the candidates handle major injuries, cardiac arrests, and many other such emergency situations.

You may also want to note that the EMT certification is awarded to the candidates for just a period of two years at a time. You will be required to renew the certification every two years, failing to which you won’t be able to eligible as an Emergency Medical Technician.

The general prerequisites for obtaining the certification

Now though the steps involved in the process for getting an EMT certification differs from state to state, most of the requirements tend to be the same. So let us now take a look at some of the general requirements for getting an EMT certification in the US:

Candidates must be of at least 18 years of age
Candidates are supposed to complete their EMT training only from a state-approved training center
Candidates are also required to hold a CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) certification
A candidate must successfully pass the NREMT exam to qualify for getting the EMT certification
Candidates are required to be in a good state of health, including physical and psychological health
Show sufficient evidence to prove that they are a U.S. citizen
Must be able to speak English fluently
Must not have any criminal background

There also seem to be several other requirements that you may be required to meet depending on your state. However, the above mentioned list covers most of the important ones, so the others shouldn’t really be too difficult to meet as well.