City of Pittsburgh Paramedics
are certified through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health. Paramedics of Pittsburgh  EMS continue their education every year by attending 24 hours of continuing education classes.

Assuring that every paramedic has enough continuing education credits each and every year is a very large task. 

To ensure that every Paramedic receives this essential training, the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services developed the E.M.S. Training Division to handle the task of education.  The division consists of three Paramedic Crew Chiefs assigned as training officers to handle the workload.  In addition, other field personnel with specialized training are brought into the Division as needed to assist in training subjects that are not part of everyday, routine operations.

The Training Division also provides a range of public education opportunities to other City bureaus and departments as well as the
public at large.  The Training Division assists in facilitating CPR/AED (automatic external defibrillator) classes for other City of Pittsburgh departments and neighborhood groups. The Training Division also teaches the First Responder program for all of the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers and recruits.

As noted on other pages, many of our Paramedics are certified as instructors and evaluators in a wide range of related Public Safety disciplines.  These include Emergency Medicine, Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Fire Fighting and more.  These Pittsburgh Paramedics routinely share their knowledge and skills with many responders from throughout Pennsylvania and, indeed, the entire nation.  Many of our members are among the most sought after technical instructors in their fields of expertise.

As part of our Public Safety Education commitment, the Pittsburgh
EMS Training Division is a permanent Child Passenger Safety Seat Fitting Station.  Any city resident needing assistance with installing a child safety seat in a vehicle should call for an appointment at
(412) 255-2450. For more information on car seat safety, please visit www.patechs.com.

Continuing Education classes taught to paramedics include:

In addition to EMT, CPR and Technical Rescue Training time,
Paramedic training consists of a minimum:

628 classroom hours
300 field hours
300 clinical hours
Total: 1,228 hours

City of Pittsburgh paramedics receive their medical direction/command through the Center for Emergency Medicine and work under the
guidance of our Medical Director, Dr. Ronald Roth. We also share a unique relationship with the University of Pittsburgh affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine which, on select calls, allows for an emergency physician to respond to the  scene of an emergency.  This is of
particular value for large public gatherings, mass casualty incidents, etc.

Emergency Medical Services - Training Division

220 22nd Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-255-2450
Fax: 412-255-4714
Training Division Email