Two graduating seniors at Eastside Memorial Early College High School recently passed the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician exams and were awarded national registry diplomas.

Jose Guerrero and Ahmed Baban Newzad completed the yearlong program by taking classes at the Austin Community College Eastview campus and the ACC Health Science Academy campus throughout the current school year.

They were recognized recently at graduation exercises at the ACC Eastview campus for their successful completion of the Emergency Medical Technician program. Both are former students of International High School.

This is the first year that ACC has offered the EMT program to high school students.

In addition to classroom prep, EMT students are required to become certified in CPR for Healthcare Providers, successfully complete the first aid course, and complete more than 100 clinical hours in various emergency settings for these students to gain field experience as EMT health care workers.

The clinical experience included shifts with area 911 EMS services such as ambulances, hospital emergency departments, hospital labor and delivery wards, and non-emergency ambulance transfer services.

Certification as an EMT-Basic is the entry level for a career in EMS and is a required certification for admission into the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician training program at ACC.

EMS certification is also a requirement for anyone seeking a commission as a firefighter in Texas.

Both students will be able to use their college credits towardstheir post-graduation plans.

Guerrero has been accepted as an incoming freshman student at Texas State University in San Marcos, and Baban-Newzad will continue his college studies at Austin Community College to receive his associate degree.