Paramedic Certificate

Paramedicine is an allied health profession whose specialty is to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level.  Didactic, clinical, and field internships prepare the student to assess and treat a wide variety of medical and traumatic emergencies in the pre-hospital setting.  The knowledge and skills acquired through the program will prepare students to meet the professional responsibilities outlined in the Paramedic scope of practice per the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, and to meet certification standards for Paramedics as outlined by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).  

The goal is to provide training for 30 students per cohort, one cohort per calendar year. It is projected that 90% of students that complete the program will successfully pass the national registry examination. If successful, this will allow for a higher potential for full time employment, both in the private sector and in the public sector.

There is a large growth predicted in the industry as well as the need to fill an EMS workforce shortage that currently exists in the Central Valley, California as a whole and across the nation.

Congressional Letter on the EMS Workforce Shortage -American Ambulance Association

The inclusion of this degree, certificate and program allows the students a variety of pathways for student success. The Fire Technology program provides a large number of pathways for students to prepare for employment or promotion, but the inclusion of a Paramedic certificate significantly enhances their ability to be marketable and competitive for available jobs. For students not wishing to become firefighters, the program gives them the opportunity to gain private sector employment for ambulance providers, or to gain the higher level pay which is commensurate with the added responsibilities of Paramedicine. The area directors are also working on developing pathways that would allow students that have prepared for taking the Paramedic courses to be able to transition into the Nursing and other Allied Health professions

The Paramedic Certificate Program is a three semester program which is cohort based. The program consists of a minimum of 1090 hours of instruction, which is divided into three distinct sessions: Didactic/classroom instruction (minimum of 450 hours), Clinical Rotation(minimum of 160 hours), and Field Internship (minimum of 480 hours). Upon completion of the program, the student is eligible to take the National Registry EMT-Paramedic examination, which is required for Paramedic licensure in the State of California.

 The Certificate of Achievement in Paramedicine: Pre-Professional is available for students who complete the following required courses, with a minimum grade of a “C” (or P)in each course in the certificate and maintain a 2.0 GPA.