Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics work each day throughout Dutchess County helping people and saving lives.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, rewarding career that allows you to give back to your community, the EMS field offers great opportunities for you!
Building a career in EMS starts by becoming certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B). Once becoming certified as an EMT-B, you will qualify to train to be certified as a Paramedic (EMT-P).
Certified EMTs provide pre-hospital care by conducting basic, non-invasive interventions to help save lives and reduce harm at the scene of an accident or emergency. They are trained to transport patients to the hospital safely.
To become certified as an EMT, you must successfully complete an accredited training course, which takes approximately 4-6 months. To find training courses near you, visit Dutchess Community College or the Hudson Valley Regional EMS Council.
The cost for training is approximately $1,100. You may be eligible to apply for a scholarship to help pay for the course, or, if you belong to a volunteer fire/EMS agency, you can ask if they will reimburse you for the training. Or, you can get paid while training to become an EMT! In Dutchess County, two commercial EMS agencies offer paid employment while you are training to become a certified EMT. To learn more about these options, call NDP EMS at 845-876-0448 or Empress Ambulance at 845-621-9300.
Paramedics provide the most skilled pre-hospital care by conducting advanced medical interventions to help save lives and reduce harm both at the scene of an emergency and during transport to a hospital. Because of this, paramedics require additional advanced training and certification.
Become an EMT first. Then, to become a paramedic, you must successfully complete a nationally accredited paramedic program.
In Dutchess County, paramedic certification courses are offered through Dutchess Community College. The paramedic program takes four (4) college semesters to complete and costs approximately $2,500 per semester, plus fees. Visit Dutchess Community College online to learn more about their accredited paramedic program and associated costs.
Similar accredited paramedic training programs are offered throughout New York State.
There are several options you can explore to help pay for EMT or Paramedic training in Dutchess County:
There are many outstanding EMS career opportunities throughout Dutchess County. Once you have completed your training and earned your certification, you can choose to work for a commercial EMS agency, or your local fire/EMS department, which may include career EMTs and paramedics on staff.
The following commercial EMS agencies serve Dutchess County:
“I started my EMS career by accident, but fell in love with being able to help people in their moment of need. This path paved the foundation for my current career as the Coordinator of EMS Programs for Dutchess Community College, where I get to help train our future EMTs and Paramedics to be able to do the same.”
Bernadette Cekuta, NRP
Coordinator, EMS Programs
Dutchess Community College
If you are passionate about helping others and want to work in a field where you can have a positive, life-changing impact on people’s lives, an EMS career awaits you in Dutchess County.
For more information about the fire department or EMS agency serving your area, please contact the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response at (845) 486-2080, or toll free at 800-211-3536. Our EMS Coordinator will be happy to help you begin your path to a rewarding career.
