CLIFTON PARK — The Saratoga County Emergency Medical Services Council, in partnership with Clifton Park and Halfmoon Emergency Corps. (CPHM EMS), is offering a second Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification course and professional development for military veterans starting in September.
The EMT course will be completely free to veterans and will be taught by Saratoga County EMS instructors who are paramedics and EMTs, most of whom are also military veterans themselves.
Course alumnus and U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Pierre Brown said, “Learning in this environment, with our shared military service, has given me a comfort that I wouldn’t feel elsewhere. I’m driven to succeed [in the EMS field] because I haven’t felt such a strong sense of purpose since leaving the military.”
The 6-month course will begin on September 19th at Clifton Park Halfmoon EMS. The Saratoga County EMS Council will host the course at the CPHM EMS facility, located at 15 Crossing Boulevard in Clifton Park.
In order to participate in the program, applicants must have served in a military combat zone, or completed initial obligation. Applicants must also attend an information session and submit an application with an accompanying DD-214 form.
“Becoming an EMT can give vets an opportunity at meaningful employment. You feel like you are making a difference, like you did while in service,” says Russell Coonradt, U.S. Navy Corpsman, Petty Officer Second Class as well as an EMT and course instructor coordinator.
Students will meet Tuesday and Thursday nights through March of 2018. The curriculum will follow the New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS certification program.
The veteran EMT course will also include professional development, such as support and counseling referrals; access to local veteran-focused resources; and career-consulting including résumé building and interview preparation.
It is the ultimate aim of the instructors to prepare students for every aspect of a career in emergency medicine while also enhancing their personal growth.
This is the second time that the course is being offered. The inaugural course was offered in the fall of 2015 with a full roster of students.
For more information, contact Russell Coonradt by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Actual registration for the class is available through the Saratoga County EMS Council website at www.saratogaems.org/register.