As we know, our first responders save lives every day. They are there in the most stressful and dangerous moments of people's lives yet staffing these critically important jobs remains a struggle throughout the commonwealth. Therefore, we plan to introduce legislation that would provide funding for a pilot program which would allow a technical school in our district to continue and expand their Emergency Medical Services program. This unique program is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth.  It offers high school students the ability to earn state certifications and additional credentials through the PA State Bureau of EMS and Department of Health, while also receiving hands-on training.  The current program includes Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training with the goal of implementing Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training this upcoming academic year, which would position students to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

Instruction of this course is delivered by state-certified EMS instructors and credentialed professional providers, including Emergency Medical Services instructors, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) instructors, American Heart Association CPR instructors, and Stop the Bleed instructors. Students are educated on HIPAA compliance and the rules and regulations governing EMS units within the Commonwealth. Instruction includes both classroom-based learning and structured hands-on training experiences.

A key component of the program is experiential learning. Students have opportunities to participate in co-op experiences during and after school hours on an ambulance stationed at the technical school, as well as at the organization’s primary station. Students assist with and observe direct patient care, interact with police, fire, and hospital personnel, and are mentored by EMS providers with multiple years of field experience. This is the first program with an ambulance on site in the school environment to give students hands-on experience during the school day.

Much of this program is currently being supported by remaining COVID-era funding, however that funding is set to expire. Therefore, the proposed funding will go toward updating training equipment and additional training aids to support high-quality instruction and hands-on learning. To provide students with a full education for this in-demand course, additional instructors are needed to expand the course to five days a week. This legislation would allow the state to provide much needed support for this vital program.

Please join us in support of this legislation that will support our students and contribute to the EMS personnel pipeline which will ultimately benefit our entire commonwealth.