OTTUMWA — Wapello County Emergency Management has been awarded a Future Ready Iowa  2023 Summer Youth Internship Program award in the amount of $98,565 to administer the Supporting Rural EMS through an Internship Initiative on behalf of the Wapello County Board of Supervisors, who have partnered with Davis and Van Buren Counties and the City of Centerville to provide this opportunity for our youth.

Priority will be given  to at-risk youth who meet specific criteria, such as being a first-generation college  student, a high school dropout, a child or parent in a single-parent family, or from an  underrepresented ethnic population, amongst other possible criteria. The Initiative will  provide an opportunity for 16 participants, aged 17-24 from the counties of Appanoose,  Davis, Van Buren, and Wapello to complete a paid internship to become Emergency  Medical Technicians.

There is a desperate need for certified EMS professionals in these  counties as well as statewide and a “grow our own” approach to filling this need will  help find these individuals. During the summer paid internship, participants will take a  state-approved EMT course through Indian Hills Community College, while completing  healthcare exploration, and course lab and clinical hours at area ambulance services,  fire-based EMS services, and hospitals. Interns will also receive information on furthering  their education in healthcare, particularly in EMS by continuing to the Paramedic level, as well as soft skills needed to be successful in a job and career.

Look for more  information on the Initiative as well as the application on the website, www.wapelloready.org.