Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi and Deputy Police Chief Rupert Daniels joined today with AMR Regional Director Patrick Leonardo and AMR Program Director Emily Chandler for the American Medical Response (AMR) 9th Earn While You Learn Academy Graduation today. The event was held at the AMR facility located on Cottage Street and also featured a special ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovations to their facility. State Representatives Carlos Gonzalez and Angelo Puppolo also joined for the ceremony along with State Senator Adam Gomez’s District Aide Armando Olivares and City Councilor Victor Davila.
Mayor Sarno stated, “Congratulations to all the members of the graduating class of AMR’s Earn While You Learn Program. This 9th class has been a tremendous success with more new EMT’s ready to begin their new careers, of which a strong percentage reflect Springfield residents, women, and our minority communities. 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.”
First launched in August 2019 as a partnership with Mayor Sarno’s focus on workforce development, the Earn While You Learn (EWYL) 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. Since the program first launched, a total of 144 students have graduated from EWYL as certified EMTs. The program has been such a success that an EWYL program has now been implemented for paramedic certification as well.
