NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – When there are not enough first responders, emergency responder response times increase, other emergency responders are placed under additional stress, and a vicious cycle occurs.
Of course, this is not a problem if the industry is well staffed.
The National EMS Academy with the Acadian Ambulance Service here in Nashville offers a free course to get people excited about the profession.
In Tennessee, the company provides non-emergency medical transport for seriously ill or injured patients.
“It is not a contractual agreement and it guarantees a full-time or part-time position because you now have a license,” explained Dria Farmer.
Dria Farmer is a paramedic and recruiter for Acadian. She says good people make the best paramedics.
“Many people want to make a difference in some way,” said Dria Farmer. “No matter how big or small, many people want to make a difference.”
The emergency services industry currently needs more paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
In the early days of COVID-19, nearly a third of new emergency workers left the industry. They did not want to work on the front lines. The industry is still recovering.
Because it is such an important profession, the National EMS Academy and Acadian have teamed up to develop a free course to ease the path to becoming a paramedic.
We drove around Nashville with Farmer and Shevelle James, an EMT, who told us what this job has meant to them.
“It makes me feel really good as a human being to help a family member in need and do whatever I can to increase their chances of survival,” said Shevelle James.
Anyone from any background who wants to help people is encouraged to apply for the course.
“People will remember you in this job. People will remember when they were genuinely helped,” Farmer said.
The free 12-week EMT course begins Sept. 9 and ends in December. It meets twice a week in the ambulance garage at 910 Twin Elms Court in Nashville. It covers topics such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early intervention and basic life support. Part of the course involves working in an ambulance and answering calls. Some participants even get paid.
“We offer our top students the opportunity to work for us as paramedic drivers so that we can fill that position as our paramedic apprentices,” Farmer said.
Applications must be submitted by August 23. Applicants must pass a short exam to be accepted into the class. The 20 applicants with the best scores will receive a spot.
