The Hastings/Quinte Emergency Services Committee is hoping Hastings County Council will approve a loan
program to upgrade the skills of local paramedics.
Wednesday the committee recommended a loan program totaling $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 3 years to repay the loan and could be reimbursed 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 ACP’s while there’s a need for 56.
An Advanced Care Paramedic starts at pay rate of $5.00 more per hour than a regular one.
