In a new collaborative effort that’s a first of its kind, Pennsylvania’s emergency medical community joins forces to launch a statewide recruitment campaign. Because EMS agencies throughout the state are severely understaffed, EMS leaders made a direct appeal in mid November to Pennsylvanians to consider EMS as a career choice.
During a news conference, the multi-faceted recruitment campaign was revealed. As part of the effort, which is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s EMS Office, a 60-second movie trailer that targets younger citizens began airing on 376 screens in 50 movie theaters across the state. A 30-second version of the trailer will also air on cable stations in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, via a partnership with Comcast and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.
More than 54,000 EMS providers operate from 1,500 companies in Pennsylvania, responding to more than 1.7 million calls each year. On average, EMS organizations in Pennsylvania have two to three full-time EMT or paramedic positions open at a time. Without being fully staffed, agencies often farm out coverage areas to other companies to avoid delayed response times.
To read more about the recruitment effort, visit the new Pennsylvania EMS Web site at www.rollwithit.com or call 877/PA-MEDIC.