PICKED FOR THAT PROJECT. WELL, TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PARAMEDICS. RIGHT NOW, MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE ARE LEARNING HOW TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES IN SAN JOAQUIN AND STANISLAUS COUNTIES. THE TRAININGS ARE PART OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM. 16 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED RIGHT NOW, AND FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THEY ARE SET TO MEET TWICE A WEEK FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO SHARPEN THEIR EMT SKILLS AND AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM, THEY’LL BE HIRED AS A FIRST RESPONDER IN THEIR COUNTIES. ORGANIZERS SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST PARAMEDIC TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE REGION IN OVER A DECADE. WE’RE STILL RECOVERING FROM POST PANDEMIC STAFFING CRISES AND ESPECIALLY IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR. UM, YOU KNOW, WE’VE REALLY TAKEN UPON OURSELVES TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GROW OUR OWN. AND BY THAT, I MEAN, WE’RE EMPLOYING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, IN STANISLAUS COUNTY, HOW THE PROGRAM WILL HAV