County, BOCES, SUNY Partner to Create New Cadre of EMTs

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Students from the Spring 2024 SUNY Sullivan EMT program celebrate their completion. Front row from the left: Greg Hatton, Allison Schombs, Gianna Valen, Gabrielle Rossello; middle row from the left: Gianna Clark, Taylor Brudermann, Dainya Augustine, John Blinston; and back row from the left: Ashley Palmacarranza, Gabor Dezso, Yogi Pomansky, Logan Knibbs.

Swan Lake, NY - In early June, nearly 30 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) candidates - spanning three EMT classes - completed in excess of 180 hours of classroom training in addition to field internships, followed by successful completion of their NYS practical exam.

"This is the first portion of the NYS EMT exam process, and I congratulate all of these students for getting this far," explained Alex Rau, deputy commissioner of Sullivan County's Public Safety Division, with oversight of the Bureau of EMS and the 911 Center. "I also thank our partners and hosts, SUNY Sullivan and Sullivan BOCES. With the critical shortage of EMTs and the need for continued recruitment and training, these programs are invaluable in building the ranks of our local EMS providers."

All three EMT courses were sponsored by the SUNY Sullivan EMT training program and were held at different locations, including the SUNY Sullivan campus in Loch Sheldrake, Ellenville Rescue Squad and the Sullivan County Emergency Services Training Center in Swan Lake through a partnership with BOCES.

"The BOCES program is particularly significant, because it represents the first offering of its kind in Sullivan County and the first time students in local high schools were able to take an EMT program during their school day through a partnership between SUNY Sullivan, BOCES and the County, using our training facility," said Rau.

The graduates have now been invited to take the NYS EMT written exam, and several have already passed. In fact, some have applied for employment or are volunteering with local EMS services.

"SUNY Sullivan, particularly Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Rosemarie Hanofee, deserves credit for maintaining the sole NYS EMS Course sponsorship in Sullivan County, which allows our EMTs to be trained right here, close to home," Rau noted. "Without their efforts, our EMS personnel would have to travel great distances to other counties to receive this training."

"SUNY Sullivan is committed to supporting the county by offering the EMT program to increase the number of emergency personnel in the workforce," said Hanofee. "We are proud of the staff, both professional and volunteers, who devote weeks of their time to support students through the original and refresher courses."

"Being able to offer this course to high school students is a great way to grow our workforce in a high-demand field that has the potential to provide our students with a rewarding career. The EMT program at Sullivan BOCES is dedicated to equipping our students with the skills and knowledge they need to serve our community effectively. Our students have the opportunity to learn from Certified EMTs from local agencies, gaining hands-on experience in patient care while building valuable professional connections," said Jeffrey Molusky, Executive Principal of the Career & Technical Education program at Sullivan BOCES. "We are proud to collaborate with Sullivan County and SUNY Sullivan to offer this essential EMT training, ensuring that our students are well-prepared to meet the critical demand for EMTs in our area."

"BOCES has been a great partner, and I'm pleased to share they'll be offering this course again in the fall," Rau related. "The next EMT course is set to begin August 20 at SUNY Sullivan. It's a great time to consider joining your local fire or ambulance squad, or even a new career. Trained EMTs are in high demand."

For more information about the EMT program run through Sullivan BOCES, contact Molusky at [email protected], or call 845-295-4183. For more information about EMT classes at SUNY Sullivan, please contact Bridget Schiffer at [email protected], or call 845-434-5750, ext. 4242.