FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Franklin County created Virginia’s first Paramedic Apprenticeship program.
Its inaugural class started in January. Apprentices take classes at the Franklin Center and work with nurses and doctors in hospitals. Apprentices also work side by side with paramedics in ambulances.
Through the program, apprentices will complete 4,000 hours of paid on-the-job training and more than 280 hours of related technical instruction.
“Franklin County is a large county, and it’s spread out. It’s largely rural and having paramedics to respond to the outer areas and treat patients and then be able to transport them to a level of higher care such as Franklin Memorial or Roanoke Memorial Hospital, the patients are getting better care on scene, in transit, all the way up to that higher level of care,” said EMS Training Coordinator Hamp Ingram with Franklin County Department of Public Safety.
County leaders also said they are fully staffed with about 25 paramedics right now, but that won’t always be the case. They said they need more people as they’re always expanding.
“Those people who are retiring that takes 80 years of experience out of our system. So, we need to fill that need. We need to fill that void,” said Executive Director of Workforce Development Kathy Hodges with Franklin County.
Some members of the apprentice program said this program means everything to them. Apprentice Brent Townley said he’s wanted to be a paramedic since he was 16 years old.
“They say you never feel like you’re working as long as you love your job, and I truly feel that this is something I’ve always felt like I’ve wanted to do, and now, I’m finally able to follow my dreams with it,” said Townley.
Stephanie McElroy is also part of the first Paramedic Apprenticeship class.
“Hopefully, it’s gonna open up a whole new set of doors for me that helps me give better care in the field to our community and to our patients,” said McElroy.
Franklin County partnered with Carilion, Ferrum College, and Virginia Commonwealth University for the program. The county hopes to start a new class next year.