The first class of students recently graduated from the Emergency Medical Technician Basic Academy at Nash Community College.

The academy includes 179 hours of classroom and lab instruction and 24 hours of field training. Graduating in October were Kizzy Taylor, Matthew Smith, Justin Bissette, Randall Lamm, Joseph James, Ashley Shearin, Joshua Garris, Christopher Carlos, Justin Beddingfield, Samuel Pridgen andBryan Boyd.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for emergency medical technicians is expected to increase between now and 2018 as a result of higher call volume due to an aging population, an increase in time required for each patient and an increase in specializing hospitals resulting in more patient transport.

For more information on training at Nash Community College for this field, call 252-451-8355.