Plymouth Board of Public Works modifies paramedic reimbursement

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 3:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The City of Plymouth prides itself on having well-trained medical professionals who can meet the needs of the citizens. Many of the Fire Department’s firefighters are willing to attend EMT Paramedic training to further their education and apply advanced skills during unprecedented times.

During last week’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, members approved of amending the current agreement. For many years the agreement had the employee pay for training and when completed the city reimbursed them the cost with the expectation they would remain with the department for 5 years.

The City of Plymouth now must pay for the paramedic training when the classes start, so the modification removes “the trainee received his or her EMT-P training” and replaces it with “the trainee begins his or her EMT-P training”.

Fire Chief Steve Holm said they currently have two individuals taking an online class and the city was required to pay upfront. He said the course is accelerated and a bit cheaper. Instead of 12 to 18 months, the new training is 10 to 11 months. He also said they have four instructors on staff to assist those taking the online classes. The chief said the cost is approximately $9,000 per student and they sign an agreement to begin their 5-year reimbursement contract when they begin the training.