South Plantation High School senior Bamaye Richards, 18, wants to be a paramedic like his brother and eventually become a firefighter or captain.
Richards, along with seven other students, are part of the new EMT Academy’s first class at South Plantation High School, which is the first EMT program in a traditional public high school in the state, according to Justin Serian, lead EMT instructor, who spent 10 years in the fire/EMS service.
There are currently just two charter schools in Dade County who have an EMT program, said Julia Kasper, Broward Advisors for Continuing Education (BRACE) advisor for South Plantation High School
The program, which took about two years to get started, began in November and entails students in their senior year completing about 250 hours of lecture and practical experience, Serian said.