A partnership between The City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Fire Department, Community Action Partnership of Ramsey County, and Inver Hills Community College
Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/EMSAcademy to follow our recruitment, outreach and other opportunities
Welcome to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ACADEMY. The EMS ACADEMY is an intensive Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and firefighter awareness program.
Congratulations Spring 2012 EMS Academy Graduates!
 Spring 2012 EMS Academy Graduates with Freedom House Members Walt Brown, Darnella Wilson, and George McCary. April 16, 2012 |
Interested in a career as an EMT or Firefighter?
Apply to the Summer 2012 Saint Paul EMS
Academy: June 18- August 24, 2012; 830am-430pm Monday,
Wednesday and Friday; Location: Freedom House - Station 51 - 296 W. 7th
Street, St. Paul; 10-week EMT certification course;
Information session: April 25, 2012 at the Neighborhood House (179 E.
Robie Street, St. Paul)
Tuition is Free.
Earn an hourly wage while you learn!
Apply between April 16 and May 4 at
www.stpaul.gov/jobs ;
Click Here for complete details
For more information please call 651-266-8920
or e-mail: emsacademy@stpaul.gov
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Course links for Participants:
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Reference Links for Participants
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Supported by
Council Member Melvin Carter
Council Member Pat Harris
Council Member Kathy Lantry
Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
United Way of Greater Twin Cities Area
Firefighter's United
Goodwill Easter Seals
About the program
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 70 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).
Anecdotal evidence in the greater Twin Cities area would suggest that EMTs of non-Caucasian background are under-represented. Many barriers prevent low income city residents from becoming an EMT. Cost and location of training is difficult to access, academic and physical requirements are rigorous and not easily accessed. This results in few students of diverse ethnicity (Manson 2005 - Click here for research)
This is not a problem unique to Saint Paul, its Fire Department or the local ambulance services located in the metro area. EMS professionals nationwide are predominantly white. The Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes & Demographics Study (LEADS) project is a longitudinal study developed and managed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA). This study (click here to see the complete report) shows 73% of the EMT workforce nationally to be white, and 79% of the paramedic workforce to be white.
Minnesota department of employment and economic development (DEED) data is projecting 17.8% growth in jobs for EMTs/paramedics from 2006-2016 (1,012 openings projected) and health care practitioners in general (61,000+ openings projected).(link)
Program Recruitment and Eligibility:
City of St. Paul
Department of Human Rights &
Equal Economic Opportunity
15 W. Kellog Blvd.
280 City Hall
Saint Paul MN 55102
651-266-8920
Media and Donations:
Ruben Vazquez
Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department (HREEO)
City of Saint Paul
290 City Hall Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102
651.266.8900
651.266.8919 (fax)
Saint Paul Fire Department questions:
Terry Haltiner
Human Resources Department
Saint Paul Fire Department
Terry.Haltiner@ci.stpaul.mn.us
651-228-6220
Instructional Questions:
David Page
EMS Instructor
Inver Hills Community College
dpage@ehs.net
651-705-6505;
or
Kris Hanson
Customized Training Department Coordinator
(651)450-3696
July 13, 2009
Saint Paul Launches First-in-the-State Program to Attract Minority Youth to EMS, Firefighting Careers Pilot academy allows young adults to earn while they learn
SAINT PAUL– A new Emergency Medical Services Academy will open doors for young adults from low-income households to careers in EMS and firefighting while helping Saint Paul close the achievement gap for students of color and women.
The first-in-the-state program – an extension of Mayor Chris Coleman’s Ready for School, Ready for Life education initiative – is a pilot that will pay 40 participants up to 25 hours a week while they go through one of two 10-week emergency medical technician certification programs. The academy is designed to provide opportunities for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 to learn job skills and qualify them to take the firefighter test in Saint Paul, broadening the pool of applications for the fire department.
“We have a fire department in Saint Paul that is second to none, and we want to make sure that the professionals who make up our department reflect our diverse community. People often express a desire to join their ranks, but in this economy, few people can afford to quit their jobs and pay for training,” Mayor Chris Coleman said. “This pilot project is a stepping stone that gives participants a leg up by offering a paid training that will provide valuable skills and lead to EMT certification.”
“The City of Saint Paul – along with a variety of public and private partners – plays a critical role in providing employment to young people preparing to enter the workforce and building career skills. By leveraging the opportunities available from several of those programs, we’ve created a unique program that will pay young adults from our neighborhoods to learn a life-saving skill, earn a professional certification, overcome a significant financial hurdle into the workforce, and compete for high paying jobs in health care, education, and the fire service,” Fire Chief Tim Butler said.
A collaboration among Saint Paul, Ramsey County, and Inver Hills and Century community colleges, the pilot academy will hold classes three days a week. Students will be paid $7.50 an hour, based on attendance and participation, up to 25 hours each week. After successfully completing the training, participants will receive a certificate in Emergency Medical Services and qualify to take the EMT certification exam.
According to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development’s 2006 projections, the need for EMTs and paramedics was expected to grow nearly 18 percent in the next decade. A 2008 Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes & Demographics Study found that only 28 percent of EMTs and paramedics are women and less than 25 percent are people of color nationwide.
“Saint Paul firefighters are called on every day to assist people from different cultures, who speak different languages and practice different religions – and the clock is always ticking,” said Councilmember Melvin Carter III, who secured support for the academy and actively recruited young adults to take advantage of the pilot program.
“For us a diverse, multilingual fire department isn’t just nice to have, it is absolutely critical to sustain the high quality public safety services our department is known for.”
“This initiative strengthens our community's economic capacity, access to new careers, and participation in a workforce that has promotional opportunities across many fields. The academy is the start of a new beginning that will have a generational impact for many of these families,” said Luz María Frías, director of Saint Paul’s Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO). “We are grateful to all of the partners that made this happen.”
Financial support for this initiative was secured from The Saint Paul Foundation, F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Greater Twin Cites United Way, and The Otto Bremer Foundation as well as Allina Medical Transport, Fire Fighters United of Saint Paul, the Fire Supervisors Association and the Saint Paul NAACP. In addition, Saint Paul City Councilmembers Carter, Kathy Lantry, Russ Stark and Pat Harris each designated a portion of their COPP funds to make the academy possible.
As part of Mayor Coleman’s education initiative, the Emergency Medical Services Academy extends to older students and young adults workforce development and job skills training opportunities outside of the traditional classroom. With the health care sector representing one of the largest employment growth areas in the city, the academy is opening doors to living wage jobs for young adults growing up and living in Saint Paul.
“Our hospitals in Saint Paul have provided a huge growth sector for our economy. This academy will position our young adults for successful careers – with good pay and good benefits – in our hospitals, clinics, and fire department,” Mayor Coleman said.
- KARE 11 TV News Coverage (April 16, 2012)
- St. Paul Pioneer Press Article (April 16, 2012) - Renaming of Station 51
- Minnesota Public Radio (April 16, 2012)
- Star Tribune article (April 15, 2012)
- Star Tribune article (July 23 2010)
- Graduation News Story Fox 9 News (10pm news lead story - December 17, 2009)
- Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Magazine article (December 2009) (look at Page 13)
- Graduation Video from the City of St. Paul Cable Channel (Sept. 15, 2009)
- Pioneer Press Article (Saturday July 11, 2009)
- Minnpost.com Article (Tuesday July 14, 2009)
- KARE 11 News - (5pm Tuesday July 14, 2009)
WCCO Article (July 15, 2009)
Saint Paul Legal Ledger Article (July 16, 2009)
Interested in a career as an EMT or Firefighter?
Apply to the Summer 2012 Saint Paul EMS
Academy: June 18- August 24, 2012; 830am-430pm Monday,
Wednesday and Friday; Location: Freedom House - Station 51 - 296 W. 7th
Street, St. Paul; 10-week EMT certification course;
Information session: April 25, 2012 at the Neighborhood House (179 E.
Robie Street, St. Paul)
Tuition is Free.
Earn an hourly wage while you learn!
Apply between April 16 and May 4 at
www.stpaul.gov/jobs ;
Click Here for complete details
For more information please call 651-266-8920
or e-mail: emsacademy@stpaul.gov
Old Flyers:
Click Here to view the Summer 2011 flyer in PDF Format
Click here to view last Summer's 2010 application and information flyer (provided for information only, NOT APPLICABLE FOR SUMMER 2011)
Tuition is free to those who apply, are eligible and are selected;
If accepted into the EMS Academy, you will attend class and be paid an hourly wage
What does an EMT do? Where can an EMT work? and What are the income earnings I can expect as a certified EMT?
· EMT’s can be employed in hospitals, medical organizations, municipalities, assisted living facilities, factories, with paramedics, fire departments,…
· EMT Certification is required to be eligible for future paramedic training and to be hired as a Saint Paul Firefighter
· An EMT has the opportunity for advancement. There are a number of promotional opportunities and related positions including supervisors, instructors, dispatchers, and administrative directors. Sometimes an EMT will move into nursing or become a physician's assistant. Some even become physicians.
· In 2008, about 80 percent of EMTs and paramedics earned between $19,000 and $49,000.
· The top-paying employers for EMTs are state governments at about $46,000 median per year, and medical or diagnostic laboratories and home health care services at about $41,000.
!!!!! Earn while you learn !!!!!