Niagara EMS’s newest recruits from the NC Primary Care Paramedic program sport their new uniforms at a training session. Niagara EMS hired 15 paramedics with 13 graduates of NC’s 2015 & 2014 PCP program. Pictured in the front (from left) are Andrew Di Giorgio, Lena Wright (2014), Luke Van Dinther, Emily Millward, Danielle Lapierre, Kristin Bortolon and Jeff Borgatti; standing in the back (from left) Andrew Smart, Dylan Potts, Ryan Melanson (2014 ), Julian Filice, and Kyle Ferguson.
Thirteen new and recent graduates of the NC’s Primary Care Paramedic (2015 and 2014) program have accepted paramedic positions with Niagara EMS, and are in the process of completing their new recruit EMS training sessions.
Niagara EMS had more than 200 candidates apply for 15 part-time paramedic positions, and NC’s PCP program is extremely proud to have 13 of the positions offered to these graduates. In order to be successful all the candidates had to complete four testing components: a physical test, a written exam, practical testing and an interview.
Cheryl Taylor and Lindsay Prioriello, full-time faculty with the PCP program, said they could not be happier with the results of the recent hire, noting that while a few of them had to choose between NEMs and other EMS services in Ontario, they were happy they selected Niagara. Both full-time faculty members are certified advance care paramedics who continue to work as ACP’s with Niagara EMS on a part-time basis to maintain their own skills and enhance their teaching in the NC classroom.
“When delivering the PCP program we are continuously telling the students that although we are standing in front of them in the classroom today, we could be sitting beside them one day in the ambulance as partners, so we take their level of dedication and professionalism in the classroom seriously, as the public deserves the best when 911 is called,” said Taylor. “One day we are their teacher; the next, we could be their partner on a serious call, and that could be the case with these new graduates.”
Other NC PCP graduates from the 2015 class have also secured paramedic positions outside Niagara. Kaitlyn Lapierre (Danielle’s sister) was hired by Kitchener Waterloo EMS, Emily Kennedy accepted a position with Halton EMS, Ben Scott was offered positions at Halton EMS and North Bay EMS and after a difficult decision accepted North Bay EMS, Colin Stadler was offered positions at three different EMS services in Ontario and selected a service close to his home and picked Halton EMS.
Additionally four PCP’s currently completing their ACP studies at Niagara College accepted positions: two with Hamilton EMS and two with Toronto EMS as PCP’s while finishing their last term in the NC ACP program. Many of the other grads from the 2015 PCP class are currently still completing hiring competitions for various EMS employers, and many have accepted positions with companies such as Sport Medic Emergency Services, Ontario Patient Transfer Services, and Emergency Rescue Academy, to name a few.
