Excerpts from 25newsnow.com:
Thirteen men and women started a new career in Bloomington on Monday after changes in application requirements allowed them to follow their dreams.
In October, the Bloomington Fire Department eliminated the requirement for potential hires to be paramedic-certified before joining. Instead, they will be taught through the department.
As part of this change, Bloomington’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 includes $210,000 for two new training officers. The department promoted two people from the floor to the training division; one focused on fire training and the other on EMS.
Four of the 13 new hires are licensed paramedics and will hit the ground sooner. Others who only have their EMT license, will take about a year-and-a-half to be fully trained, all while getting paid.
