By EMS1 Staff
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — A school district teamed up with a fire department to launch the first-ever EMT academy in the area for high school seniors.
Statesman reported that six high school seniors from Connally High School and Hendrickson High School began participating in the academy as a result of a partnership between the Pflugerville school district and Pflugerville Fire Department.
The class runs through June 2018, and participating students will receive an EMT-Basic certification after spending a minimum of 48 hours in an ER and 60 hours in an ambulance.
“First and foremost, the ability to recruit and hire directly from our community is extremely important to us,” Training Battalion Chief Nick Perkins said. “You also get a candidate who is personally connected and vested in the community. We also want to be role models for these students, to show there are great jobs in public service.”
Officials said the course is an opportunity for students to begin careers early in either the fire service or EMS industry.
“Pursuing the EMT-Basic certification while in high school lays the foundation for a future healthcare career,” district career and technical education director Ryan Merritt said.