The first-ever students in Butler County Community College’s EMS Academy are now certified EMTs.
The program started in response to a shortage of emergency responders in the county and around the state. The academy offers students a weekly stipend, along with a commitment to work in the county for the next year.
Eight students graduated from the eight-week course. The students ranged from 19 to 51-years-old.
Tom Buttyan is coordinator of BC3’s Workforce Development EMS and police training programs and of the EMS Academy.
He says the academy’s 224 hours of training include mandatory eight-hour ride-along shifts with a licensed ambulance service that assists Butler County communities on weekends, or clinical experiences in the emergency department of Independence Health Care-Butler Memorial Hospital on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, Buttyan said.
“They were out in the field and saw all the things they were learning about in real time,” Buttyan said. “They learned how to identify, respond and watch how it was resolved.”
The next academy will begin on September 23rd. If you’re interested, you can learn more at bc3.edu.
