News Release

MONCTON (GNB) – A French-language training program for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) will begin in the new year to help ensure more ambulances will be on New Brunswick’s roads.

Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) will welcome its first cohort of EMT students on Jan. 4. The 10-week training program is designed to prepare students for work in transfer units across the province. The program will be offered at no cost thanks to funding from WorkingNB and the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

“The addition of the EMT program through CCNB is another step forward with our commitments under the provincial health plan to create a better-connected health system and meet the needs of New Brunswickers,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch. “Ambulance NB’s reintroduction of EMTs will help provide a valuable service to patients and their families across New Brunswick.”

Transfer units move patients from one hospital to another to receive the care they need. Currently, each transfer requires two paramedics. By replacing one of them with an EMT, more paramedics can be assigned to units responding to emergency calls.

“It is crucial that we continue to find ways to support New Brunswick’s health-care sector and that all stakeholders are rowing in the same direction as we work to meet labour force demands,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder. “We are proud to support this micro-credentialing program through WorkingNB and we are grateful for CCNB and Ambulance NB for their efforts to address gaps in our workforce.”

The reintroduction of EMTs is a key part of the provincial health plan, Stabilizing Health Care: An Urgent Call to Action, which aims to develop an integrated health system, ensuring New Brunswickers have access to timelier and improved care.

“This is another important milestone towards the reintroduction of EMTs within Ambulance NB,” said Jean-Pierre Savoie, vice-president of Ambulance NB. “As we’re able to add EMTs to help staff our low-acuity patient transfer units, it will mean that more of our paramedics are available to respond to 911 calls, helping to strengthen our capacity throughout the province.”

The program is a collaborative effort involving the departments of Health and Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Ambulance NB, the Paramedic Association of New Brunswick, and CCNB. Twenty seats will be offered at the college’s Campbellton campus. A second cohort is planned for Bathurst if there is sufficient demand.

"CCNB is proud to offer this program, which will not only allow many individuals to quickly access the labour market but will also fill a critical need in our communities," said Julie Cyr, dean of CCNB’s School of Health and Community Services.

Applicants must have a high school diploma, adult high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma (GED) and will be selected in collaboration with Ambulance NB based on interviews and resumés. The EMT certification can be used as a foundation for further education in primary care paramedicine.

“This micro-certification and the reintegration of emergency medical technicians into the ranks of Ambulance NB is a creative and effective solution to improve ambulance services in the province,” said Pierre Zundel, CEO of CCNB. “Having been a paramedic myself earlier in my career, I personally know how rewarding and vital this work is to our communities.”

Details of Medavie HealthEd’s English-language EMT program were announced last month.

Anyone interested in applying to CCNB’s program should send their resumé and a copy of their diploma or transcript to [email protected].