The Guilford County EMS Paramedic Academy has been in operation since the year 2000. The Academy was started as a means of meeting the staffing needs of our service during a period of natural attrition and an increased need for expansion. The graduates of our Paramedic Academy have allowed Guilford County EMS to cope and grow during a period which would have otherwise created significant staffing problems for our service.

The Academy operates within the guidelines of the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services as a certificate Paramedic education program. Guilford County EMS is a Level 2, EMS Educational Institution. The students of the Academy are benefited employees of Guilford County EMS throughout the 9 month curriculum. Students are obliged to remain in the employ of GCEMS for a period of 2 years after successful completion of the Academy.

A curriculum of 1200 hours is provided including class, clinical exposure in local hospitals and clinical hours spent on GCEMS Paramedic units under the direction of a Field Training Officer. Students are given the unique opportunity to hear new information, see it applied by their peers and then practice it themselves as they progress.

Students work preset hours as a partner to a Paramedic throughout the Academy. These hours are not included in the curriculum hours but provide a tremendous opportunity for the student to observe and operate in their field of study.

Prospective students are typically hired into a part-time or a full-time position as an EMT. They will complete a 160 hour New Employee Orientation program and then be assigned to a shift. Evaluations are completed daily to document the progress of the employee and to direct efforts to enhance growth. Students who display positive characteristics are offered entry into the Academy. We have had excellent outcomes with our graduates and now enjoy the opportunity to hear and see them daily as they perform within our system.

Those interested in more information are encouraged to contact:

Reid McCormick RN/EMTP
ES Manager-Training, GCEMS
Office 336-641-6204
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