Bell Ambulance recruits high schoolers, $16/hr training

MILWAUKEE - The number of people applying for EMT jobs at Bell Ambulance is at a 10-year low. The company is recruiting high school students to fill the gap.

Throughout the pandemic, Bell Ambulance faced an emergency of its own.

"The recruitment issue has been a problem in ems for years," said Jason Flegner, deputy operations director. 

Flegner says COVID and general burnout resulted in half the number of prospective EMTs compared to a decade ago.

Instead of flat-lining, Bell opened up a new training center on Milwaukee's south side and started recruiting younger applicants.

Bell Ambulance 

"We are reaching out to high schools," said Flegner. "If there are current high school seniors who want to take the program, they can."

Bell is paying its cadets to study and become certified.  Bell guarantees them a job if they finish. In the last class, a quarter of them didn’t.  With interest in emergency medical services so low, Bell is willing to eat the cost.

"It’s getting worse, but it’s always been a problem," said Flegner.

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Charisa Smith should finish her training in June.  

"I started off wanting to be a teacher," said Smith. "Later, down the road, thought teaching wasn’t for me."

At 30 years old, she’s switching careers.  Most of Smith’s classmates are just starting out.

"It’s a lot of younger people in our classroom," said Smith. 

Bell is relying on its cadet program more than ever to fill vacancies. The company responds to 350 calls a day. Smith is up for the challenge.

"I want to be able to have a chance to give back to the community that helped raise me to be the person I am today," said Smith. 

You need to be 18 to finish Bell’s cadet program, but some are starting before graduation. Bell is paying $16 an hour to take the course.

Bell EMTs provide things like first aid, CPR and medical transports.