Tulsa & Oklahoma City, OK – During EMS Week, May 15th – May 21st, EMSA celebrated the launch of its first ever in-house EMT training program, EMSA Advantage. This program is a partnership with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training. EMSA Advantage is a compliment to EMSA’s in-house Paramedic School which has graduated more than 100 Paramedics in the last ten years.
After a competitive selection process, EMSA Advantage students will spend nine weeks in the classroom with zero tuition and out-of-pocket fees (a $2,500 cost savings). During EMSA Advantage, recruits are paid to earn while they learn. After completing classroom and field training, EMTs must be cleared and pass their national registry tests to begin working field shifts as an EMSA EMT. EMSA Advantage students agree to an 18-month contract with EMSA in exchange for the tuition free EMT school.
EMSA believes there has never been a more important time for EMSA Advantage. Across the United States in 2020 there were 58,969 first-time certified EMTs and 9,415 first time certified Paramedics. In 2021, those numbers dropped to 4,284 EMTs and 470 Paramedics according to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. This is an alarming drop, and there is expected to be a shortage of medics for years to come – EMSA is determined to utilize creative solutions to bridge this gap – and EMSAAdvantage is an important tool to grow EMSA’s EMT numbers.
The next EMSA Advantage is tentatively planned to start in early Fall 2022. Those interested in future EMSA Advantage classes can get more information at https://joinemsa.com/emsa-advantage/.