As EMS providers across Michigan and throughout the country work to address a widespread shortage of paramedics, St. Clair County Community College has added a summer emergency medical technician course to help students enter the field. SC4’s state-certified, 274-hour basic emergency medical technician course runs from May 6 to Aug. 14, combining classroom instruction and clinical experience in an ambulance and emergency room to train students for careers as emergency medical technicians. After completing the class, graduates are eligible to earn their EMT license and enter a paramedic certificate program. SC4’s accredited paramedic program prepares students to take the national registry paramedic certification exam and apply for a Michigan paramedic license in as little as three semesters. Because of the high demand nationwide, licensed paramedics have immediate access to career opportunities. “If there is a paramedic out there with a state license who wants to work in EMS, they have a job right now,” Tri-Hospital EMS CEO Ken Cummings recently told the Times Herald. SC4’s EMT course, ZPFT 850-01, begins with an orientation Monday, April 29, at 10 a.m. in the college’s Applied Technology Center, room 134. “It’s a very fulfilling career,” said SC4 program director Roger McClelland. “It’s in your blood and very fulfilling to help others, and that’s what the career is all about — the service to the community.” Those interested can find detailed information and register online at sc4.edu/emt.
