Ranger College receives TWC grant for ambulance simulator lab

STEPHENVILLE — Ranger College EMS program is honored to be the recipient of a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission providing the opportunity to purchase new state-of-the-art EMS training equipment.

The competitive Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program funds equipment for career and technical education courses leading to a high-demand occupation in Texas. Along with a Mobile Ambulance Simulator, the program was able to purchase new high-fidelity training manikins and other state-of-the-art equipment to train EMS students.

The EMS program is working hard to provide the highest level of education to help fill the ever-growing need for qualified professionals in the EMS industry. The new training equipment sets the program apart by giving the ability to place students in real-world emergency scenarios and expose students to situations they will face in the field. Ranger College plans to expand the program to offer more advanced EMS training in the future. Texas is experiencing a major shortage of trained EMS professionals.

Ranger College EMS Program Coordinator J.D. Gambino said, “Ranger College aims to meet this demand and provide highly trained EMTs to enter the workforce. This grant has given us a major boost to be able to do so.”

Dr. Sandra Lee, the Dean of Allied Health, states, “This equipment takes our EMS program to the next level. I am particularly excited about the opportunities to develop scenarios and applications for all our allied health programs and help students learn to work with each other across disciplines.”

The Ranger College EMS Program is a 20-week hybrid program that combines weekly online coursework and weekly in-person classes on Tuesday evenings from 6-10 p.m. at the Erath Center in Stephenville. The total program cost, including course material, is $2,200. Grants are available to cover the cost for qualified students willing to work in the EMS field for at least one year after graduation. The next EMT Basic class starts July 18. To sign up, e-mail EMS@Rangercollege.edu.