KCC offering free Basic EMT training for eligible residents of Branch and Calhoun counties

The KCC EMS Program ambulance, parked outside the Lane-Thomas Building.

A funding package coordinated by Kellogg Community College and state and local partners will allow eligible residents of Branch County and select areas of Eastern Calhoun County to complete KCC’s Basic Emergency Medical Technician Certificate Program for free.

Individuals interested in applying for the program or checking eligibility should contact KCC MiLeap Navigator Niaomi Curtis at 517-629-7531 ext. 4472 or curtisn@kellogg.edu.

Interested applicants must contact KCC no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22.

The approximately 15-week EMT training program will be offered at KCC beginning Aug. 29 and will run through mid-December. Classes will be held onsite at KCC’s Grahl Center campus in Coldwater and Eastern Academic Center campus in Albion to make it easier for participants in those respective locations to attend.

Funding for eligible participants will be provided by the Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP), LifeCare Ambulance/Emergent Health Partners and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated by the Branch County government, depending on the applicant.

Eligible participants who commit to working for LifeCare after graduation will receive a weekly cash stipend for the duration of their training. MiLeap-eligible participants will also receive a free laptop and additional support services.

KCC’s Basic EMT Certificate is one of several Emergency Medical Services credentials offered at the College and provides a foundational group of courses in EMS education leading toward licensure with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The program includes training in CPR; bleeding control; airway management; splinting; extrication; oxygen therapy; and medical, environmental and other emergencies. Basic EMTs can work on an ambulance and are well positioned to continue their training toward licensure as a paramedic.

This training is open at no cost to eligible residents of Branch County and Albion, Homer and Marshall area residents in Eastern Calhoun County who meet income guidelines. Participants must be at least 18 years of age, provide a high school transcript or GED and have the ability to attend the training for extended hours daily for the duration of the program. A criminal history background check will be run prior to the start date.

The Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) is a workforce training program made possible by a $17,827,178.11 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund – Reimagine Workforce Preparation Program (ESF-RWP) provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act of 2020.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.