Mayor Walsh, Boston EMS graduate class of 21 EMTs

In a ceremony at Faneuil Hall held before family, friends and colleagues, 21 recruits graduated from the Boston Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Recruit Academy today after six months of extensive training. The ceremony included remarks from Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Monica Valdes Lupi and Boston EMS Chief Jim Hooley. This graduating class will increase the number of Boston EMS' uniformed employees, allowing for the deployment of two additional ambulances on a daily basis.

"This is the fifth EMS class that has graduated since I became Mayor, and has a special significance: these graduates represent the first class expansion in nine years. Together, our newest EMS class has proven their commitment to helping people and serving our communities, and I'm proud our new EMTs will go on to provide the best, most compassionate care for our residents in need."

Boston EMS is one of the City's busiest services, responding to over 120,000 clinical incidents per year. Since 2008, Boston EMS's annual call volume has increased by over 20,000, or nearly 20 percent. Using data gathered through CityScore, Mayor Walsh invested in 20 new EMT positions, ensuring Boston EMS meet the heightened demand for emergency medical services.

The EMS Recruit Academy is the only six-month training program in the U.S. During the Academy, with the oversight of their training officers and partner agencies, recruits were trained in a variety of emergency situations, including mass casualty incidents, domestic violence, hazardous materials exposures, transportation accidents, recovery services and life-threatening emergencies. While completing their training, recruits responded to an average of 300 incidents each.

The recruits, already state-certified EMTs prior to hire, completed an additional 12 weeks of classroom training and practical scenario work, as well as a 15-week field internship program, to prepare them to provide the best possible care in a busy evolving urban system.

"Our EMTs provide exemplary care to Boston residents, both with their work in the field and with their work tracking and analyzing emergency-related public health trends," said Monica Valdes Lupi, JD, MPH. "Our EMS first responders are leaders in this field, and we are proud to welcome new personnel from the latest group of graduates."

"I look forward to serving with the newest members of Boston EMS," said Chief Hooley. "We set very high standards for our EMTs and paramedics, and these women and men have proven that they are rightfully qualified and deserving of the Boston EMS badge."