PirateQ 
PSC training the next generation of Escambia County paramedics
Key Points:
- Escambia County EMTs receive scholarships to train to become paramedics – but must work for county for at least 2 years after successfully completing PSC program.
- Funds for the scholarships comes from revenue generated by the Escambia County EMS.
With a nationwide demand for paramedics and emergency medical technicians, the Escambia County Emergency Medical Services division has gotten ahead of the curve.
In August, 14 Escambia County EMTs -12 new and two returning students – enrolled in Pensacola State College’s Paramedic Program. Offered as a scholarship by the county, employees sign a contract to work as full-time paramedics with Escambia County for at least two years after earning their certificates and licenses.
Recently, the Escambia County Board of Commissioners approved a $76,000 purchase order to cover the cost of tuition, books and uniforms for the 14 students to complete the program. Tuition is around $6,000 per student for the program offered on the PSC Warrington campus.
“When we have an EMT who is doing really well, we can essentially put them through paramedic school. They’ll stay on with the county and we get to retain that talent,” said Escambia County Commissioner and Board Chair Ashlee Hofberger.
She added that about a year or so ago, the county ordered a substantial number of new ambulances “So there is a big push to make sure those ambulances are staffed with the right team members. This is part of making sure we’re able to meet the needs of the community,” she said.
Currently, Escambia County’s EMS has 77 paramedics and 103 EMTs. And between fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2025-2026, the county has acquired ordered 27 brand new or refreshed ambulances.
For Dalaina Hayes, Escambia County’s 2025 EMT of the Year, the opportunity to train to become a paramedic with a scholarship was too good to pass up. She paid out-of-pocket for her EMT training and certification from PSC in 2023.
“Paramedicine is very challenging, but I love the challenges. I’ve had some very good coworkers who have helped me to see the advanced procedures that paramedics are able to perform to help people in our community, and that’s something I want to be able to do,” said Hayes, who has worked for the county since 2024.
After losing her father to cancer in 2017, Hayes wanted a career in healthcare. She worked as a patient care technician at a Pensacola hospital, but an episode of “Night Watch,” convinced her to work as a critical care emergency worker.
“I love being in the back of the ambulance and thrive in that environment. More knowledge and more education are always the best in the healthcare field,” Hayes said, adding the scholarship really opened the doors for career growth.
Hofberger said the scholarships don’t cost Escambia County taxpayers any money because the EMS division generates revenue.
“We don’t subsidize them with tax dollars. It’s all the money they’re bringing in from the services they provide. If someone calls 9-1-1, their insurance gets billed. That revenue comes into Escambia County and we’re reinvesting it back into our EMS team,” she said.
Mitzie Sowell, head of PSC’s Allied Health Department, said the paramedic program is four terms and only enrolls students during the fall semester. The one-term EMT Program accepts students every semester.
“We typically cap classes at 24 students due to student-instructor ratio, which is required by the accrediting agency. This fall, we have 20 students who are enrolled and 14 are (Escambia County) scholarship students,” Sowell said.
The EMT program has 16 students. To become a paramedic, a student must have already completed the EMT program, she added.
The college has been training Escambia County paramedics since 2016- the first cohort for the program has 12 students. Initially a tuition reimbursement program, the program eventually evolved into a scholarship.
Escambia County EMS Division Chief Chris Watts said the department tries to enroll scholarship students in the PSC paramedic program each fall.
“This provides us a kind of guaranteed stream of paramedics. Because if they are EMTs here and they become paramedics and agree to work here for two years after the fact, it provides us a solid workforce,” he said. ” … No. 2, it provides opportunities for growth and advancement for people who are already working here, which then gives us better retention of our employees. It’s a career advancement and a way to retain employees.”
He added Escambia County is lucky to have a local education partner like PSC.
PSC President Ed Meadows said he and college administrators met with Hofberger earlier this year about ways to ramp up enrollment in the paramedic program.
“We’ve increased the number of slots for people to enroll and we’ve work with the county to accommodate their employees as well,” he said.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected overall employment for paramedics and EMTs to grow by 5% each year from 2024-2034- a rate faster than average for all occupations. About 19,000 openings for EMTs and paramedics are projected each year, on average, over those 10 years.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
In May 2024, the national median annual wage for paramedics was $58,410. Florida had the second highest number of paramedics with 6,530 in the career field in May 2024, according to the BLS. Texas, with 8,560 paramedics, is No. 1.
According to the Escambia County website, EMS is offering paramedics a base pay of $27.80/hour, plus benefits, and a $10,000 sign on bonus with a contract.
Dusti Sluder, PSC’s Warrington campus dean, said the paramedic program has a 100% employment rate for graduates -with many working for freestanding ERs, acute care facilities, hospitals and other facilities or entities.
Some even use paramedic and EMT certifications as stepping stones to other healthcare careers.
“We have a lot of students, especially EMTs who do that, and then pursue nursing because they can work and attend school. I’ve even had a number of students who told me that they’re in the program so that they can work while in medical school,” Sowell added.