For the second year in a row, Colonie Central High School students are getting an early start on careers in emergency services through an EMT program offered in partnership with the Town of Colonie. The early morning class gives students the opportunity to complete the academic and hands-on training required to become certified Emergency Medical Technicians – while still in high school.

Students complete between 170 and 190 hours of instruction covering topics such as anatomy and physiology, CPR, airway management, medical and traumatic emergencies, and patient assessment. The course is academically demanding, and includes hands-on skills practice such as taking blood pressure, listening to lung sounds, and conducting patient evaluations.

Town of Colonie EMS Assistant Chief Steven Gundrum emphasized the long-term value of the experience for students. “I got my start in EMS as an Explorer with Colonie EMS when I was 16,” said Gundrum. “It’s a huge benefit, whether students want to go into EMS, nursing, police work. It has so many applications.”

At the end of the program, students must pass both a practical skills exam and a written certification test to earn their EMT credentials.