В Карлайле открыт бесплатный курс подготовки медиков для ветеранов и жителей

By Maddie Seiler The Sentinel CARLISLE, Pa. — Like many Pennsylvania emergency service organizations, Cumberland Goodwill EMS is staring down a staffing crisis. Assistant Chief Nathan Harig estimates that emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, typically stay with the organization for about three to five years before moving on, a turnover rate that mirrors national trends. | MORE: Grant funding demystified with Anya Otterson “What that means is basically ... every three to four years, I have a whole new combination of crews,” he said. To stem the hemorrhage, the agency launched the Carlisle EMS Academy in 2023 and has since trained nearly 100 EMTs. On Aug. 5, Brogan Barlup cut the ribbon to open a publicly available outdoor AED beside the tennis courts at Adams-Ricci Community Park. Now, newly obtained state grant funding could help further expand the local EMT pool. On Tuesday, Cumberland Goodwill EMS officials announced the launch of Rescue Ready, a workforce program designed to provide free EMT and Advanced EMT, or paramedic, training. The initiative is funded through a $70,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The grant will support free community EMT classes through Carlisle EMS Academy, train current EMTs to become paramedics and provide instructor training. Cumberland Goodwill EMS officials hope to advance at least 10 current EMTs to paramedics and to certify 15 new EMTs. Rescue Ready scholarship applications are open for a new EMT course that will run January through April about two evenings per week with some Saturday classes. Applications are available online at carlisleems.academy and will remain open through Nov. 15. Established in 2019, Wheels for Women gave away its 50th car late last month to a woman fleeing domestic violence. The scholarship covers all tuition, textbooks, equipment and the certification exam. Harig estimates that traditional EMT courses can cost more than $1,300. While Cumberland Goodwill EMS offers a summer EMT class through the Employment Skills Center and partners with local schools, Harig hopes the evening course will draw participants who may not have daytime availability. “We want to reach out to veterans,” he said. “We want to reach out to those people who we haven’t been able to bring in that would benefit from this knowledge.” Course graduates will have all the certifications and experience necessary to work at any EMS agency or workplace health organization, according to Cumberland Goodwill EMS officials. This includes certificates in operating emergency vehicles and incident command. The Bright Side: Camp Hill fashion student designs stylish medical covers Emilie Delaye of Camp Hill launched Nova Medical Wearables in March, featuring a line of fashionable PICC line covers. “One of the things we really want to stress with the Rescue Ready initiative is that it’s no cost, but it’s also no commitment,” Harig said. That means graduates aren’t required to work for Cumberland Goodwill EMS after completing the course. Instead, they can take their skills to a different EMS agency or to a different career entirely. Harig said most warehouses employ on-site medical representatives, and many EMTs use their experience to springboard into other fields, including medicine, law enforcement and firefighting. State Sen. Greg Rothman helped secure the Rescue Ready grant funding, saying it will “go a long way.” “I am grateful for all of our EMTs and first responders, and I will continue to do everything I can as your senator to make sure that you have the recognition and the resources that you need to do your jobs,” he said during a news conference Tuesday. Jeannie Zappe completed her second swim across the English Channel July 9 to raise money for Alzheimer’s disease research. To Harig, the initiative is about more than generating a higher volume of EMTs. It’s about training people to meet the needs of their community. In the last year, Harig said Cumberland Goodwill EMS staff have delivered a baby during a snowstorm, stood ready when President Donald Trump visited the U.S. Army War College and responded to last week’s helicopter crash at the Carlisle Airport. With no prerequisites, no cost and no commitment, he hopes the upcoming EMT course will break down barriers for people who want to serve their community. “It takes someone who wants to help,” Harig said. “And that’s the heart of the hero, right? Someone who wants to be there in someone else’s worst day. We can train you on everything else. You just have to be willing to actually say yes.” Sirens for Service features Nathan Harig with Cumberland Goodwill EMS Assistant Chief of Administration Nathan Harig has served with Cumberland Goodwill EMS in Carlisle for 20 years. © 2026 The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pa.). Visit www.cumberlink.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.