LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — It’s the sixth EMT academy hosted by Lancaster EMS in Millersville Borough, Lancaster County.
The EMT basic certification course offers students the chance to earn while they learn.
Instructor, Richard Canard, describes the academy as invaluable.
“We actually hire the candidates and pay them to attend school and then from that they have a two-year commitment to work for us as EMTs,” Canard said.
For cadet Jeff Colon, it’s an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream.
“I would just love to be on an ambulance and be the light for people when they are in their darkest times,” Colon said.
The academy was launched after instructors noticed a decrease in EMS applications.
“Normally an average EMT program, we would have 20 to 25 students and when COVID was starting, we were only getting five to six candidates applying for the position,” Canard said.
Lancaster EMT got part of a one-million-dollar tuition assistance program by the Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS after being announced by the State Department of Health.
The money was used to develop a pay-to-learn program to entice more people like Austin Vogel to apply.
“I was finally financially able to do that path, and with a lot of support from family and a lot of determination and dedication, I was able to be where I want to be today,” Vogel said.
The academy has grown over time.
However, Canard says the need for qualified cadets is still high.
“I’ve been asked to, rather than running two programs a year, to actually increase it to three programs per year and that’s because of our need for EMS providers at the entry-level, EMT level.”
The academy features lessons on state protocol EMT standards as well as on Lancaster EMS policies and procedures.
“Obviously, there’s sometimes you’re not going to know what to do but it’s going to give me the tools I can to try and figure out what to do,” Colon said.
The next academy is expected to launch in August 2024.