Oxnard committee recommends council authorize paramedic field-internship agreement with CalJAC through 2027

The Oxnard City Committee on Public Safety and Housing Development on March 11 recommended that the City Council authorize the city manager to execute a paramedic/EMT student field-internship agreement with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CalJAC) for a term ending Dec. 31, 2027. The committee voted 3-0 to forward the agreement.

Fire Department leaders told the committee the agreement will allow paramedic students to complete required field experience in a densely populated area, complementing classroom instruction and hospital rotations. From start to finish, the chief said, paramedic training takes roughly nine months: about five months in a classroom, followed by hospital time and field internship.

The department described the agreement as part of a broader workforce-development strategy. Through a grant-funded EMS Corps program, the department currently has a cohort of about 20 students, the chief said. Students accepted into the program receive a stipend while they train; once they attain six months of field experience they are eligible to pursue paramedic certification and, potentially, internship placements under the CalJAC agreement.

Councilmembers and neighborhood representatives praised the program. A representative from the Pleasant Valley Neighborhood Council told the committee residents were impressed with outreach and the opportunity the program creates for community members to obtain marketable public-safety skills.

The chief said field training officers will receive additional compensation: a 5% ad pay for shifts served as field training officers and a one-time $800 training officer payment tied to completing 480 hours of field instruction, as described during the meeting. Applications for the next cohort were described as open through March for a July start; the chief provided the program website as Oxnardemscores.org for additional information and application details.

The motion recommending authorization of the agreement was moved by Chair McArthur and seconded by Committee Member Perallo. The roll call recorded Chair McArthur, Committee Member Perallo and Committee Member Perez voting "yes," and the motion carried 3 to 0.

The department said the internship agreement is intended both to increase local capacity for emergency medical services and to create a pipeline for hiring locally trained personnel.