Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined today with officials from American Medical Response (AMR) of Springfield, including Northeast Regional Director Patrick Pickering, Manager of Operations and Communication Patrick Leonardo, NCTI Program Director Emily Chandler to bring greetings and congratulations to AMR’s 8th graduating class of EMT’s from their Earn While You Learn program. Springfield Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi, Deputy Police Chief Bill Cochrane, and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Judi Crowell also joined for the graduation ceremony which was hosted at MGM Springfield’s Roar Comedy Club (which happens to be housed inside Mayor Sarno’s old South End Community Center building).
Mayor Sarno states, “I want to congratulate all the members of the graduating class of AMR’s Earn While You Learn Program. This 8th class has been a tremendous success with fifteen more new EMT’s ready to begin their new career. Of note, this graduation class is also one of the most diverse, with 11 out of the 15, or 73%, identifying as minority, and 8 out of the 15, or 53%, identifying Hispanic heritage. I am very proud of the graduates and appreciative of AMR’s continued belief and investment in our Springfield and their partnership working together to not only defeat this COVID-19 pandemic but continuing their daily duties of responding to any and all health-related calls to save lives, too.”
First launched in August 2019, the Earn While You Learn program is designed to make an easier transition for those wanting to become EMS professionals. Participants are hired as employees and compensated while attending AMR’s EMT-Basic certification course. Upon successful completion of the program and obtaining their state certification, participants are promoted to EMT-B with a commensurate pay increase.
On the walk back to City Hall from MGM Springfield, Mayor Sarno was happy to run into Outer Belt Civic Association President Walter Gould at Red Rose pizza. He was also, as always, pleased to see our brave and dedicated men and women in blue keeping our city safe. Today, he had the chance to say hello and thanks to Officer Provost.
