Seventeen young adults earned their graduation certificate from County Fire’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Corps program, completing more than 400 hours of training designed to launch them into careers in the medical field.
The 20-week program blends classroom learning with hands on fieldwork and mentorship. Each participant works directly with an EMS professional and logs 120 hours of on-the-job experience with them.
Kaiya Anderson Rodriguez, a graduate of the program’s first cohort, delivered the keynote address. She shared how the program helped secure a job as an Emergency Medical Technician with a local ambulance company.
The program serves people ages 18 to 26 who may face barriers in entering the EMS field. After passing an EMS Office background check, participants earn 12 college credits, receive a $1,500 monthly stipend, and can access support services such as financial literacy coaching, housing help, transportation assistance, and childcare resources.
A third cohort is now underway at Palomar College, and applications are open for a fourth cohort, which begins in July at Southwestern College’s Otay Mesa campus.
The program is funded by the state’s Employment Development and Public Works Alliance, which is expanding EMS Corps statewide to help meet workforce needs in emergency services.
Reprinted courtesy San Diego County Office of Communications.