The Hastings/Quinte Emergency Services Committee is hoping Hastings County Council will approve a loan
program to upgrade the skills of local paramedics.
On Wednesday, the committee recommended a loan program totalling $18,000 to pay tuition costs for regular
paramedics to take the one-year Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) program at one of the colleges offering the course,
such as Durham College in Oshawa.
The successful student would have three years to repay the loan and could be reimbursed for the final year’s payments
under certain conditions.
An Advanced Care Paramedic is qualified at a higher level than a regular paramedic and the Hastings/Quinte Paramedic
Service currently has only 16 ACPs while there’s a need for 56.
An Advanced Care Paramedic starts at pay rate of $5 more per hour than a regular one.
