With the ongoing shortage of paramedics and lagging response times, ambulance provider American Medical Response is taking steps to increase the number of paramedics serving the greater Portland area. At the College of Emergency Services (CES) in Clackamas, a current class of 32 paramedic interns are receiving life-saving skills training, with another class of 30+ scheduled to start later this year.
To support this effort, AMR is providing full scholarships to approximately 20 students in the current class, covering the estimated $20,000 cost for each individual. Most of the remaining students are receiving partial scholarships from AMR.
According to Lauren Enright, the EMS Program Director at CES, the school offers classes two days a week, allowing EMTs to continue working while advancing their level of expertise. Despite the high demand for paramedics and twice the number of applicants as available class spots, Enright explained that the class size is limited due to the availability of preceptors and paramedics for training.
Daniel Yandell, an EMT for AMR in Clark County, shared his motivation for becoming a paramedic: “I wanted to take the next step up in my career and become a paramedic while still working as an EMT. To become more confident in my knowledge, because one of the biggest questions I had as an EMT is the why.”
Yandell acknowledges the opportunity provided by the scholarship program and expresses gratitude to the school. He emphasizes the practical value of the program, stating, “To go from school and literally the next day apply it in the field, it adds that layer of confidence.”
The need for more paramedics extends beyond the classroom. AMR’s performance in Multnomah County has faced criticism due to its requirement for ambulances to be staffed with two paramedics instead of one paramedic and one EMT. However, in other Portland metro counties, including Clackamas County, response times have also suffered in recent years.
Clackamas County recently extended its contract with AMR for an additional year, until May 2025. Previously, county leaders had fined AMR hundreds of thousands of dollars for late response times. With the extension, county leaders have agreed to waive the fines if AMR meets response time standards for three consecutive months during the next contract year.
Chair Tootie Smith stated, “I am pleased to extend the AMR contract for one year. While we are very aware of the regionwide response-time issues, we are taking steps to hold AMR accountable and are implementing a nurse navigation program which should reduce calls for emergency transport.”
According to the contract between AMR and Clackamas County, most ambulances are expected to arrive within 8 minutes of a 911 call. From May 2023 to February 2024, AMR failed to meet this standard, with ambulances arriving on time for approximately 81% of emergency calls. However, in March, ambulances arrived on time for 86.6% of calls, indicating a positive trend.
