For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: March 12, 2026
State grant to help expand EMS training opportunities
Fennimore -
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College has received a $109,375 state Emergency Medical Services Education Grant aimed at strengthening EMS training opportunities across the region and addressing critical workforce shortages in rural communities.
The state-funded grant supports Wisconsin technical colleges in advancing emergency medical responder, EMT, advanced EMT, and paramedic education while increasing institutional capacity and aligning with workforce needs.
According to the grant application, 72 percent of the 50 EMS providers in Southwest Tech’s district are fully volunteer, compared to 41 percent statewide. “It’s (the grant) going to be huge,” said Kris Schoville, academic lead, Medical Assistant director/instructor at Southwest Tech. “Everybody is looking for EMS help. We have squads that are running bare minimum crews.”
Schoville said many rural departments are struggling as longtime volunteers retire without enough new providers stepping in. “People are getting old, and they’re retiring out and there’s nobody to replace them,” she said. “That’s making it really hard. It’s going to be huge if we can increase new EMTs.”
The grant, supported by State Sen. Howard Marklein and authored in partnership with Rep. Tony Kurtz, is expected to be a recurring annual program. It is designed to grow the pipeline of newly licensed EMS professionals rather than support those already credentialed. “The grant is not designed to support those people who are already licensed, it’s to increase new licenses,” said Schoville. “They’re going all the way from the first responder level up to paramedic. So, for our district, this is going to be very significant for our small ambulance squads to recruit people.”
“I am very glad to see that Southwest Wisconsin Technical College received a grant to support their EMS programming,” said Marklein. “Southwestern Wisconsin badly needs EMS volunteers, and this grant will allow SWTC to continue offering classes, even when that session is not at full capacity. It will also allow them to maintain classes in multiple locations, making training more accessible to volunteers throughout the region.”
Steve Braun, Grant County Emergency Management director, said cost has long been a barrier.
“The cost of initial EMT and AEMT training has traditionally been a barrier for people who might otherwise be interested in volunteering or working in EMS,” he said. “This program opens the door for more people to pursue EMS training who may not have previously considered it and makes it easier for local EMS agencies to sponsor new members.”
Braun said communities across the region are focused on sustainability. “All of our communities are thinking about the long-term sustainability of EMS and how we’re going to replace those who will soon be retiring or stepping away from service,” he said. “I don’t think there is a community out there in our area who hasn’t struggled with recruiting and retaining EMS personnel. Programs like this help build a stronger pipeline of trained providers and support our ability to maintain EMS service in our communities.”
Funding will support instructor training, the cost of seven open-enrollment EMS refresher courses this semester, one contracted refresher course for Shullsburg at no cost to the community, equipment upgrades and expanded outreach efforts. “Our goal is to increase our class offerings throughout our district and increase our instructor load, because we can’t teach what we don’t have teachers for,” Schoville said. “If we’re going to increase that, we also have to increase supplies and equipment for them to teach with.”
Mallory Noble, EMS instructor at Southwest Tech, said the grant addresses longstanding funding challenges in EMS education. “One thing that is consistent across EMS education is a lack of funding,” she said. “This grant is a huge step in increasing the school’s ability to aid in the education across all levels of EMS education.”
Noble said the college consulted local services and former students to determine how best to invest the funding. “We have already started the process of ordering a wide range of new equipment, both small and large, to aid in the hands-on learning of our students,” she said.
Recognizing that most EMS providers are volunteers balancing full-time jobs and family responsibilities, the college is expanding flexible course offerings. “Part of the grant money we received is being used to offer additional classes at several locations and times,” Noble said. “This allows more people interested in EMS to take the classes regardless of their work-life schedules.”
Schoville said the work ultimately centers on community service. “It’s a give back to your community. Really, that’s the bottom line,” she said. “You’re volunteering to help people in your community, and someday it might be you that they need to come and get.”
Braun added that the grant also supports career pathways. “This program will make it easier for people to pursue EMS as a career,” he said. “I’m hopeful that SWTC will eventually get a paramedic program up and running, as there is a paramedic shortage in our area.”
“We don’t need these squads to close. That’s scary,” Schoville said. “We’ll do anything we can.”
Anyone interested in starting their journey, should contact their local EMS department.