The Saint Paul Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy is an intensive Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification and firefighter awareness program.  The 240-hour program is designed for low-income, diverse youth ages 18-24, who are residents of Saint Paul.  Admitted participants are paid an hourly wage to attend the training, which lasts 10-14 weeks.  Recruitment is targeted to low-income youth of diverse ethnicities, women, and bilingual ability, with the goal of building an EMS workforce reflective of Saint Paul’s communities. 

Upon graduating from the EMS Academy, alumni earn National EMT certification, 9 college credits through Inver Hills Community College, and valuable job competency training.  To date, over 50 low-income, diverse young adults of Saint Paul have completed the EMS Academy.  The 2012 EMS Academy schedule includes a spring course running January 9 – April 13, 2012, and a summer course running June 18 – August 24, 2012.

The EMS Academy is a collaboration by the Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO), the Saint Paul Fire Department (SPFD), Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Youth Job Corps (YJC), Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Hubbs Center, and Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties (CAPRW).

Learn more at www.facebook.com/EMSAcademy and www.ehs.net/emsacademy