WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department is teaming up with the University of the District of Columbia to launch the city’s first publicly accessible paramedic training program.
A new facility, set to open next year, will train and certify 50 to 75 paramedics annually, NBC Washington reported.
City leaders say the program aims to tackle the ongoing shortage of qualified EMS personnel in the District.
“We have about 400 paramedics in the department right now, and what we, what we’d like to do is have more so that we can expand and get more ALS care in the field,” D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said. “So, there isn’t a finite number I’m trying to get. I’ll take them all.”
The initiative will create a pathway for EMTs to advance and become certified paramedics.
D.C. firefighters can enroll in the certification program for free, while all city residents can apply for financial aid to help cover the three-semester program.
Donnelly noted that while his firefighters gained attention after the recent midair collision over the Potomac River, their impact extends far beyond, saving lives daily across the city.
“As you guys witnessed over the last week, it is a really good department,” Donnelly said. “But we’re also the third largest health care provider in the District of Columbia, and that’s something that people lose track of and that’s what this is about. We don’t do just one or the other, we do both.”
