Paramedic Program
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department (MFMD) provides fire-based EMS services and emergency transportation/ambulance service to the City of Mesa and surrounding areas. As the third largest fire department in the State of Arizona, we run approximately 55,000 medical calls per year serving more than a half-million residents and visitors. All our engines and ladders are Constant Staffed with a Captain, Engineer and two Firefighters; of which two are Paramedics (ALS) and two are EMT's (BLS). We also began our own ambulance service in 2018; this currently includes 15 ambulances in operation with 38 Paramedics and 36 EMT’s.
For many years, we partnered with the Maricopa Community College system to train our paramedic students. Unfortunately, their program was cancelled in 2022. This change created an opportunity however, for us to evaluate and develop our own program. We successfully established our our own high-quality educational platform in 2022, allowing us to provide direct paramedic training and education for professional workforce development. This program is available to our members and also our regional training partners from other area departments. The opportunity to attend our program is one of the most sought-after assignments within MFMD, making it a highly competitive process for a limited number of students.
Our Paramedic Program includes a talented pool of instructors who have supported our program director in building a successful program. Our training staff includes a Nurse Practitioner/EMT; Registered Nurse/Flight Nurse; Respiratory Therapists/Paramedics; Critical Care Paramedics and Paramedics with previous teaching experience at various, successful paramedic programs. We are committed to the ongoing effort to offer a pathway to a reliable, high-quality education to meet the need to fulfill paramedic staffing needs into the future for the members of our community.
Program Goals
Paramedic: To prepare Paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
Paramedic Program with Outcomes CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was submitted for the calendar year 2022. The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam is 93.3%. The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 100%. Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as ‘Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military’. Positive placement is measured at completion of the program. The most recent retention rate was 45/46 = 97.8%.
Accreditation
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department Paramedic Program is seeking accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in accordance with the recommendation of, and compliance with, the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services (CoAEMSP). The Mesa Fire and Medical Department's Paramedic Program is currently not accredited, however it is in the process of review by CoAEMSP for CAAHEP Accreditation.
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department Paramedic Program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). This letter does NOT indicate CAAHEP accreditation status. Instead, it signifies that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated a sufficient level of compliance with the accreditation standards, through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR), and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the NREMT's Paramedic Credentialing Examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation.
Committee on Accreditation of
Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
214-703-8445
Fax: 214-703-8992
coaemsp.org
Commission on Accreditation of
Allied Health Education Programs
25400 US Highway 19 N., Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
727-210-2350
caahep.org