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Council approves paramedic training for 22 firefighters using FEMA AFG funds
Summary
The fire department will use FEMA AFG funds to send 22 firefighters through a paramedic bridge program; cost to the city is covered by the grant and reimbursed for overtime and backfilling.
The council approved a procurement to fund paramedic bridge training for 22 current Warwick firefighters through Educational Resources Group of East Providence, using funding provided by a $1,000,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) the department was awarded in July 2025.
Assistant Chief Alan Gouvea told the Finance Committee the training is a shortened, bridge-style paramedic program tailored for firefighters who already hold EMT/cardiac certification. The per-student tuition is $4,670; the department requested spending authority not to exceed $102,740 for 22 students. Gouvea said the training provider is the only certified CAAHEP-accredited vendor in Rhode Island that would permit registrants to test for the National Registry and obtain state licensure.
Funding and staffing: The department plans to use about $380,000 of the AFG balance (after earlier purchases, including Scott packs) to cover training costs and overtime/backfill for firefighters who attend class. Gouvea said the grant will reimburse overtime and staffing costs for in-class and clinical time; routine weekly online study hours will be done by firefighters on their own time and not paid by the city. Kent Hospital will host the majority of the required clinical time, per the department’s medical director arrangement.
Licensing and operations: Warwick’s EMS service is already licensed to the paramedic level; the department currently lists 18 paramedics and expects this training to increase that capacity. Gouvea said the department had more interest than 22 students and had to cap enrollment. The program is expected to generate overtime but that cost will be reimbursed through the FEMA AFG grant.
Outcome: The committee recommended and the council approved the exception to bid and the expenditure not to exceed $102,740 to Educational Resources Group, funded out of the FEMA AFG grant account (code 3680455). The department will return documentation of enrollments and will manage scheduling and credentialing through its normal administrative processes.
