Career Technical Education (CTE) PROGRAMS
Program: Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
SCSA currently offers all levels of EMT training and certificates. All students complete the testing for the National Registry. Our classes are now offered on both sides of our county and held in Downieville and Loyalton. Our EMS courses, curriculum, and instructors are certified by NorCal EMS and listed on the California EMS site as a registered training agency. We are also listed with the Workforce Alliance as an official location for all EMS training.
SCSA is also certified by NorCal EMS as an agency to provide continuing education units (CEUs) for all first responders and healthcare providers in EMS courses that we offer.
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (Basic), and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) are the current courses we provide. They run on a varied schedule so that candidates can complete the series in a year’s time.
The National Registry for Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) has combined the psychomotor portion of the national registry testing procedures into the written exam; therefore, taking a second psychomotor portion is no longer necessary. (Effective January 2025)
We have two facilities that we can offer classes from: Downieville–105 School Street, Downieville, CA (at the Downieville School) and Loyalton — 605 School Street, Loyalton, CA (next to the old middle school). We are offering a blended format of online interactive for the didactic portion and in-person for the skills. All finals are given on a Saturday at the Loyalton location.
There is a clinical and patient contact component that is required and separate from the time in class that all participants are required to complete on their own time. The agencies we are currently contracted with for the clinical are Eastern Plumas Health Care (EPHC) in Portola and Quincy and Enloe in Chico. It is the STUDENTS responsibility to ensure they reach out and connect with the agency they chose and complete the requirements prior to course completion.
Course: Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
Requirements: 95% attendance; 80% minimum on all formal assessments; minimum 12 hours prep reading prior to class; 84 hours didactic and skills instruction and testing
The Emergency Responder course is a basic-level course that prepares the EMR student to provide emergency pre-hospital assessment and care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. A valid CPR card is provided as part of the study of this course, as well as an introduction to emergency medical services systems, the roles and responsibilities of EMRs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, and special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting. This course is often a precursor to further education in the EMS, paramedic, and nursing fields. A certificate of completion from SCSA accompanies successful completion of the course. This level of training does not have a National Registry testing component.
Course: Emergency Medical Technician (Basic)
Requirements: 95% attendance; 80% minimum on all formal assessments; minimum 15 hours prep reading prior to class; 24hours clinical and 10 ambulance patient contact; 170 hours didactic instruction; 42 hours of skills instruction on Saturdays
The Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMTb) course prepares the EMT student to provide pre-hospital assessment and care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, the roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation. Candidates must have a current CPR card when registering for this course.
Upcoming Classes:
EMT Basic Course: March 24th–June 28th, 2025. Monday and Thursday 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
EMT Refresher Course: Refresher Course: Blended Class: June 2nd-June 28th, 2025. A portion of this class is virtual. All Skills are in person on Saturday, June 20th, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Course: CPR
SCSA offers two CPR courses for healthcare professionals: the initial certification, which is four hours, and the two-hour recertification classes, which cover all of the required skills necessary for CNAs, LVNs, and in-home health providers. In addition, SCSA offers a community Heart Saver CPR/AED/First Aid class that is seven hours long and is renewed biannually.
REGISTRATION BY PHONE ONLY. Weekly CPR classes are being offered as needed by demand. Contact us for more information.
Program: Hospitality Industry Boot camps
SCSA has partnered with the Sierra County Visitors Bureau, several businesses, and the North/Far North Hospitality Industry Director to be able to offer two industry-vetted boot camps. Upon completion, the expectation is that the participants can effectively work the front-end part of the resort business as well as have a firm foundation in the 21st century skills that employers are requesting that all potential employee candidates possess and/or be able to work in any commercial kitchen safely and effectively. We modified the Guest Services boot camp to be Sierra County-centric, focusing on the activities and attractions that Sierra County has to offer visitors and tourists to our area. Participants have the ability to earn a variety of area-specific digital skill badges that become part of their resume and transfer to any employer in the hospitality industry.
