The National EMS Academy is one out of only four schools in Louisiana to have their paramedic program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

The commission accredits a program based on the quality of the institution and its services and by measuring them against agreed upon standards. As of the first of this year, a paramedic must be a graduate from an accredited program to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedic Exam.

The academy, the largest emergency medical services education provider in the state and one of the largest in the country, has held the elite accreditation status since 2010. The academy also began implementing new education standards for paramedic training in August, which increased paramedic course hours from 1,060 to 1,260 hours.

“We are proud to be one of the only accredited programs in Louisiana,” said Greg Mullen, EMS program manager. “We have always strived to administer the best EMS training by offering the most up-to-date methods taught by highly experienced instructors, and we feel that we continuously achieve that goal and remain on the cusp of EMS education.”

The academy has seven campuses throughout Louisiana — Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Covington, Gretna, Houma, Lafayette and Lake Charles — and two in Texas. Paramedic classes begin every January and August, while emergency medical technician basic courses start every January, May and August. To find out more, call 866-459-3500 or visit www.nationalemsacademy.com.

The academy is a division of Acadian Ambulance and offers entry-level, continuing education, and refresher courses for a number of career pathways.