State approval allows Brunswick Community College to restart entry-level EMS training

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick Community College has been cleared to resume several emergency medical services programs after the North Carolina Office of EMS approved the college’s request for a new EMS program director.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the approval allows the college to restart all Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician and local continuing education courses.

However, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and paramedic programs remain on hold.

State officials said those programs are subject to additional accreditation requirements through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Brunswick Community College will be authorized to resume AEMT and paramedic education programs once the North Carolina Office of EMS has been notified those requirements have been met.

The programs had been temporarily paused in May after the contract for EMS Program Director Jerome “Chip” Munna was not renewed.

The suspension of EMS coursework raised concerns among some students who worried about completing their education on time. Several students told WWAY last month they were considering transferring to other schools to finish their degrees if the programs could not resume quickly.

The latest approval allows many EMS students to continue their training while the college will still need to meet the remaining accreditation requirements needed to restart its advanced EMS and paramedic programs