From Zero (Education) to Hero

New Castle County (DE) Paramedics Implement an Innovative Pay-as-You-Learn Recruitment/Education Academy Join A.J. Heightman and New Castle County (NCC) Paramedics’ Assistant Chief Chris Johnson for an enlightening 90-minute podcast on the innovative Paramedic Academy implemented by New Castle County (DE) paramedics and offered in neighboring state Pennsylvania at the nationally recognized Good Fellowship Ambulance and EMS Training Institute, West Chester/Chester County, which pays recruits/student applicants while they train at the Academy. The podcast details the problems of recruitment, candidate training and paramedic retention being experienced nationwide and how the New Castle County Paramedic System developed their innovative approach to recruitment and retention of employees: NCC Paramedics conducts intense recruitment efforts over three months targeting a diverse population of New Castle County residents. They pay a good starting salary and great benefits to each recruit and it starts when they start school at the EMT level. Yes, all recruits, whether they are already EMTs or not, start at the BLS level of education at the Academy so they all learn it the NCC way. They now average 500-600 applicants per academy. Their goal is to retain an amazing 20-25 recruits/employees in the 4th academy scheduled to start in January 2022.