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Jefferson County board backs development of county EMS training program
Summary
Supervisors unanimously authorized development of a Jefferson County EMS training program to offer paramedic and EMT classes; the ambulance director estimated tuition at $2,000 for paramedics and $1,500 for EMTs with a $500 deposit and said accreditation and clinical agreements are next steps.
The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 authorized county staff to develop a local EMS training program aimed at producing paramedics and EMTs for the county and surrounding region.
Ambulance Director (unidentified) presented the plan, calling it a regional resource that would be branded informally as an "EMS Academy." He outlined startup costs, saying the largest up-front expense is the external accreditation application and that once launched the program should be self-sustaining through student deposits and tuition. "My intent is $2,000 for a paramedic student and $1,500 for an EMT student," the director said, and added that each student would pay a $500 nonrefundable deposit to cover testing and course materials.
The director said his plan is to begin a paramedic class July 1 if accreditation and clinical placements fall into place, with EMT offerings to follow. He described a largely self-paced didactic model with scheduled hands-on skills sessions and said clinical agreements with area hospitals and ambulance services would be required.
Supervisors praised the program concept as addressing a regional shortage of EMS providers and asked for regular updates. The board voted to record approval in the minutes and to provide initial funding authorization so the director could complete accreditation paperwork and set up the program infrastructure.
The director called the vote a milestone: "I am beyond giddy at this point," he said, and committed to working with local high schools and regional partners on recruitment and articulation agreements for college credit.
