What every applicant is entitled to know.

Accreditation

The Cincinnati Fire Department Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Paramedic examinations and, on passing, to apply for Ohio Paramedic certification. Completing the program does not by itself confer certification; that is granted by the National Registry and the State of Ohio.

Program goal

“To prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.”

That sentence is the minimum expectation CoAEMSP asks every accredited program to publish. Ours also commits to developing each student’s ability to assess and manage the scene of a medical or traumatic emergency as the primary paramedic, to document and communicate critical information to the receiving hospital, and to initiate advanced care for patients of every age.

Technical standards

The program adopts the Paramedic Functional Job Analysis published with the U.S. Department of Transportation National Standard Paramedic Curriculum as its technical standards. Every applicant must be able to meet these standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, to be admitted and to progress through the clinical and field phases. If you believe you may need an accommodation, contact the Program Director before you apply.

Qualifications

Must be at least 18 years of age and a high school graduate or equivalent, and hold a valid driver’s license. Ability to communicate verbally, in person and via telephone and radio equipment; ability to lift, carry, and balance up to 125 pounds (250 with assistance); ability to interpret and respond to written, oral, and diagnostic-form instructions; ability to use good judgment and remain calm in high-stress situations and take on the role of leader.

Must have the ability to read road maps, drive a vehicle, and accurately discern street signs and address numbers; read medication and prescription labels and directions for use quickly and accurately; communicate verbally with patients and others of diverse cultural and age groups to interview patients, family members, and bystanders; and discern deviations or changes in eye and skin coloration due to the patient’s condition and to the treatment given. Must be able to document, in writing, all relevant information in the prescribed format in light of the legal ramifications of such documentation, and converse with dispatchers and EMS providers by phone or radio about the status of a patient.

Good manual dexterity, with the ability to perform all tasks related to advanced emergency patient care and documentation. Ability to bend, stoop, balance, and crawl on uneven terrain, and to withstand varied environmental conditions such as extreme heat, cold, and moisture. Ability to perform quick, precise, practical mathematical calculations pertinent to the ratio and proportion of medications and supplies used in emergency patient care. Must be independent, confident, and able to work without defined structure; have stable reasoning ability with the capacity to draw valid conclusions quickly about a patient’s condition, often from limited information; and be cognizant of all legal, ethical, and moral obligations inherent within the scope of practice.

Physical demands

Aptitudes required for work of this nature are good physical stamina, endurance, and body condition that would not be adversely affected by frequently having to walk, stand, lift, carry, and balance, at times in excess of 125 pounds. Motor coordination is necessary because, over uneven terrain, the patient’s, the paramedic’s, and other workers’ well-being must not be jeopardized.

Characteristics of the paramedic

The paramedic must be a confident leader who can accept the challenge and high degree of responsibility entailed in the position, with excellent judgment and the ability to prioritize decisions and act quickly in the best interest of the patient. The paramedic must be self-disciplined, able to develop patient rapport, interview hostile patients, maintain a safe distance, and recognize and use communication appropriate to diverse multicultural groups and the ages within them, and must be able to function independently at an optimum level in a non-structured environment that is constantly changing.

The paramedic is held personally responsible, legally, ethically, and morally, for the safe and therapeutic administration of every drug, including narcotics: for using correct precautions and techniques, observing and documenting the effects of drugs administered, keeping one’s pharmacological knowledge current, and knowing the contraindications for each patient. This includes obtaining a comprehensive drug history, calculating dosages by weight and age, measuring and re-measuring drip rates for controlled substances, and accounting for every dose given or returned.

The paramedic must remain calm while working in difficult and stressful circumstances, stay focused while assuming the leadership role inherent in the position, and direct other team members as needed. The work includes responding to calls in districts known to have high crime and mortality rates. Self-confidence is critical, as is a desire to work with people, solid emotional stability, a tolerance for high stress, and the ability to meet the physical, intellectual, and cognitive requirements demanded by the position.

Description of tasks

The paramedic performs every task of the EMT and, in addition: answers emergency calls and drives to the scene safely while reading maps and observing traffic law; sizes up the scene, determines the mechanism of illness or injury and the number of patients, recognizes hazards, and conducts triage; extricates and moves patients; takes vital signs and a comprehensive history, obtains consent or refusal, and directs EMTs within their scope; manages the unresponsive, seizing, hypoglycemic, burned, overdosed, and behavioral patient; stabilizes the spine, immobilizes extremities, straightens selected fractures and reduces selected dislocations, controls hemorrhage, and delivers newborns; manages the airway with basic and advanced adjuncts including orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation, pharmacologically assisted intubation, and surgical airways; performs CPR, manual and automatic defibrillation, external pacing, and 12-lead interpretation; establishes peripheral and intraosseous access and administers medications by oral, sublingual, inhaled, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intraosseous, transcutaneous, rectal, endotracheal, and intravenous routes including infusion pumps; lifts and secures patients and monitors them en route; maintains the vehicle, restocks and disinfects equipment, accounts for all controlled substances, and prepares accurate, legible patient care reports; supervises assigned students and observers; and complies with regulations in handling the deceased.

Source: Functional Job Analysis: Paramedic Characteristics, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Standard Paramedic Curriculum.

Occupational risks

Paramedic education takes place in the same environments as paramedic work. During classroom labs, hospital clinicals, and field internship you should expect exposure to blood and other body fluids, airborne and droplet-borne infectious disease, needlestick and sharps injury, lifting and carrying injury, extremes of heat and cold, emergency-vehicle operations, potentially violent scenes, hazardous materials, and the emotional stress of critical and fatal calls. The program teaches and enforces standard precautions, safe lifting, scene safety, and the department’s post-exposure plan, but the risk cannot be eliminated. Applicants should weigh it honestly.

Non-discrimination

Candidates are considered for admission regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or any other non-merit-based factor. The same standard governs instruction, evaluation, clinical placement, and discipline throughout the program.

Admission policies

Who may apply. Cincinnati Fire Department members in good standing, firefighters in good standing from other departments, and candidates from private ambulance services throughout the greater Cincinnati area. Every applicant must hold current Ohio EMT certification or National Registry EMT certification. The full list of admission items is on the Requirements page, and enrollment dates for each class are published in the program flyer and on the Apply page.

Advanced placement. None. Regardless of entrance-exam performance or prior college coursework in anatomy, physiology, biology, nursing, or related fields, every student completes the full program.

Transfer of credit. None. The program does not accept credit from any other institution or paramedic program. All students begin and end on the same dates and receive the same education.

Experiential learning. No credit is granted for prior work experience.

College credit and articulation. Graduates may earn 30 hours of college credit through the program’s articulation agreement with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

NIMS. Every student must provide copies of NIMS 100 and NIMS 700 certificates for the student file.

Tuition & refunds

Cincinnati Fire Department members pay no tuition.

External students pay tuition of $10,500 for the 2027 class, paid in four quarterly installments of $2,625. A $1,000 deposit reserves the student’s seat. The program charges no fees beyond tuition. Costs set by third parties are paid directly to them: the National Registry examination fee, the State of Ohio certification fee, and the applicant’s own background checks, physical, and immunizations. All tuition must be paid before a student may sit for the National Registry exam and graduate.

Refunds. If a student withdraws, voluntarily or involuntarily, or is separated for disciplinary or academic reasons, tuition and fees paid to that point are not refunded.

Past-due accounts. A student who falls 90 days or $2,000 behind on tuition is dismissed from the class.

Veterans. For students sponsored under Chapters 30, 32, or 35 of Title 38, Chapter 1606 of Title 10, or related programs who fail to enter, withdraw, or are discontinued before completion, charges for tuition and fees will not exceed the approximate pro-rata portion of total charges that the length of the completed portion bears to the total program length. A registration fee of $10 is non-refundable; the pro-rata portion may not vary by more than 10% of total charges.

Withdrawal & re-entry

Withdrawing. A student who wishes to leave the program first meets with the Program Director and the District Chief of EMS Operations (external students also involve their sponsoring Fire Chief). If they concur, CFD members submit a Form 47 Chief’s Report through the chain of command; external students submit a written resignation. Tuition paid is forfeited on separation.

Re-entry. At the discretion of the District Chief of EMS Operations and the Program Director, a student who left because of unsatisfactory progress or conduct may re-enter at the start of the next class once the underlying problem is resolved. Returning students are subject to the admission requirements and selection process of that class.

Completion window. The on-time graduation date for each cohort is on the course schedule. A maximum of 14 months is recommended to complete every component and achieve National Registry certification.

Academic standards & dismissal

Students must score 75% or higher on every high-stakes exam, including each term’s cognitive and psychomotor midterm and final, and hold an overall grade of 75% or higher at the end of each term. Clinical requirements must be met each term as set out in the Clinical Handbook. Absence exceeding 10% of the course, tardiness, and absence without leave are grounds for discipline up to dismissal.

Academic cheating, plagiarism, possession or sharing of examinations, falsification of any department or program document (including a preceptor signature), illegal drugs, weapons, and theft are grounds for dismissal.

Due process. The Fire Chief, District Chief of EMS Operations, Medical Director, or Program Director may bring a dismissal for cause, but a student may only be dismissed, refused graduation, or barred from the National Registry exam by a majority vote (three of four) of those four officials.

Clinical assignment

Hospital clinical rotations take place at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and Good Samaritan Hospital. Field internship takes place at Cincinnati Fire Department companies and other approved partner departments, and every student is given time on the busiest units. Assignments, schedules, and preceptors are arranged by the program’s Clinical Coordinator. Each clinical and field area has written objectives and minimum patient-contact and skill requirements, set out in the Clinical Handbook, that must be met to progress. The capstone field internship requires each student to serve as team leader on a variety of advanced-life-support calls.

All students are covered while in the classroom, clinical, and field settings by the City of Cincinnati’s self-insurance program for professional liability.

Health & safety

Before you start. Admission requires a pre-admission physical examination, current immunization records, a current CPR card, and Ohio BCI and FBI background checks.

Infection control. Standard precautions are mandatory in every clinical and field setting. Students follow the Cincinnati Fire Department Operations Manual, Section 204.05, which is the infection-control standard for the department and the program.

Post-exposure plan. A student who sustains a significant exposure (blood or body fluid to a mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or by needlestick, or shared air space with an infectious tuberculosis patient without respiratory protection) reports immediately to an ALS Supervisor and goes directly to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center emergency department, where arrangements exist for CFD members and students. Required injury and sharps reports are completed with the supervisor. Needlestick injuries are also reported to the infection-control officer.

Grievance & complaints

The program’s Discipline and Grievance Policy is a standalone document. Every student receives a copy at orientation and signs a receipt that is kept in the student file. Applicants who would like to read it before applying may request a copy from the Program Director.

Appealing a grade. Every student may review all graded work. A student who disputes a result has 24 hours from grade notification to file a written appeal with the instructor. If the instructor and student cannot resolve it, the Program Director reviews it; if the student is still not satisfied, the District Chief of EMS Operations and/or the Medical Director renders a final, binding decision. Verbal appeals and appeals filed after 24 hours are not accepted.

Within the program. Concerns about grading, discipline, clinical placement, or treatment by staff or preceptors should be raised first with the Program Director, Joseph Arnold, at joseph.arnold@cincinnati-oh.gov or (513) 378-2030. Decisions on dismissal follow the due-process rule described under Academic standards above.

With the accreditor. A student or member of the public who believes the program is not meeting accreditation standards, and who has not been able to resolve the concern with the program, may file a complaint with CoAEMSP at the address above or through coaemsp.org. CAAHEP’s complaint procedure is at caahep.org.