Photo submitted Students work through patient transport exercises during an EMT course in Warren in 2022.

In an effort to combat a shortage of emergency medical technicians in the county, the Warren County EMS Council and Northern Pennsylvania Regional College are partnering to offer a no-cost course for county residents.

The college’s workforce development department has developed a program providing EMT training for interested individuals set to launch Jan. 9, 2024. The course will run every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5 until 9 p.m. through June 20, 2024.

Classes will be held at the Warren County Career Center.

The course is free for those residing in Warren County, but open to those outside the county for a $350 fee. All interested individuals must pass an entrance exam.

According to an NPRC release, “the 200-hour program teaches technical knowledge and skills needed to become a certified basic emergency medical technician. This includes all skills necessary for the individual to provide emergency medical care at a basic life support level with an ambulance service or other specialized service. After successful completion of this course, individuals will be eligible to take the National Registry exam for emergency medical technician. Currently, NPRC has a 94 percent cumulative pass rate of the National Registry exam.”

Pending entrance exam results, more than 20 individuals are already in the registration process. A small number of seats for the course remain. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/EMT_NPRC.

The program is funded through financial contributions from the EMS council and NPRC.

According to NPRC, demand for EMTs is expected to grow by seven percent through 2031. The average full-time EMT salary is approximately $50,000 per year.

“NPRC recognizes the fact that costs can be a barrier to training,” NPRC’s Vice President of Workforce Development Adam Johnson said in the program release. “Therefore, NPRC has launched a program to offer low or no cost EMS training programs throughout its 10-county region. We are grateful for the Warren County EMS Council and the Warren County Career Center’s support to help fill this need for trained public safety professionals in Warren County.”