Rio Hondo Fire Academy

1.      When are EMT courses offered?

We offer five EMT courses each year. Two courses are offered during the Spring and Fall semesters, and one offered during the Summer semester. You must first be a registered student at Rio Hondo College. The application process is online and it is free! It only takes a few minutes to apply. Go to www.riohondo.edu and click "Get Started" on the Homepage to apply.

2.      How long is an EMT course?

We offer both 8-week and 16-week EMT courses. The 8-week day courses meet Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The 16-week evening courses meet Tuesday & Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

3.      Where do the EMT courses meet?

EMT courses meet at the Rio Hondo College Fire Academy in Santa Fe Springs. The address is 11400 Greenstone Avenue, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670.

4.      Are there any special requirements to enroll in the EMT course?

• You must be 18 years of age before the first day of class.
• In addition, there is a prerequisite course that needs to be successfully completed before you take EMT 093. That course is FTEC 121 Emergency Response. We offer a minimum of ten of these courses each year that meet on different days and times. Most are 16-week courses and meet one day per week. There are some more accelerated courses offered that meet either four- or five-weeks during Winter Intersession and Summer. If you take one of the accelerated courses, be prepared to work very hard since they move very fast.

5.      What is the cost of becoming an EMT?

The cost of EMT 093 is approximately $1,500. Once you complete the course, there is an additional cost of approximately $400 to become certified to work as an EMT. (Cost Breakdown) Please remember, this is an estimate as costs unfortunately are always changing.

It is important that you have an education plan to guide you through your college experience. This will help you to complete your educational goals in a reasonable amount of time and expense.

Once you are a registered student at Rio, please set up an education plan with our Fire Technology counselor, Diana Valladares. The best way to contact her is via email at DValladares@riohondo.edu.  

We hope these answers help you decide if our EMT Program is right for you. We look forward to seeing you in the near future. Should you have any additional questions, please contact our EMT Program Director Scott Jaeggi at SJaeggi@riohondo.edu