Mt. San Antonio College is launching a new Paramedic Academy this fall semester with pre-courses beginning in the summer.

The first Paramedic Academy is already full. Prospective students are welcome to apply now for the second Academy, which will begin with precourses in winter intersession 2018.

Before the Paramedic Academy, Mt. SAC had a traditional paramedic program, which will be graduating its last students this spring.

The program was completely reimagined using feedback from local fire and health care agencies. The program is now more intensive and streamlined, while still providing students classroom and hands-on experiences they need to make an immediate impact on the job. The Paramedic Academy courses are also scheduled so students can graduate in as little as 9.5 months.

“This Paramedic Academy is years in the making,” said Chief Jamie Hirsch, Program Director. “This is exactly what local public safety professionals have said they wanted from our graduates and we’re delivering.”

These changes are part of a broader effort to re-imagine the fully accredited Public Safety academic programs at Mt. SAC.

This winter, the college brought together the administration of justice, fire technology, emergency medical technician and paramedic programs into one building and under one department.