“Learn From Paramedic Educators”
For over 29 years the paramedic educators at Priority Care have been teaching First Responder, Emergency Medical Responder, and Instructor Development courses. Thousands of our students have gone on to become paramedics, firefighters, nurses, and educators.
The courses offered at Priority Care have been developed by the Canadian Red Cross, are recognized nationally, and are designed to meet the requirements and expectations of various regulatory bodies such as:
- The government of Canada
- The government of BC
- The British Columbia Emergency Medical Assistant’s Licensing Branch
- WorkSafe BC
Why train at Priority Care?
The student experience is at the forefront of everything that we do!
Priority Care is an organization that endeavours to fully support our students, from the time of registration through to the successful completion of their course (and through the process of post course government licensure exams where applicable). We do this by providing value added supports like pre-course communication, course specific study guides, online practice exams, private tutoring, etc. Our goal, right from the time that you register, is to facilitate your needs as a learner however we can.
We are EMS professionals, who are also college trained educators and curriculum designers
Education is at the heart of everything that we do, so it is important to us that we do it well. To serve this goal, the instructors at Priority Care have completed numerous college / university level programs to strengthen their educational skills well beyond the minimum that is required.
Priority Care is also one of three Red Cross Instructor Development Centres in the Vancouver area, and we are very proud to have supported instructor development since 2003. Teaching is an amazing career, and we love seeing instructor candidates progress to successful careers as educators themselves.
Additionally, the staff at Priority Care occasionally serve as advisors and curriculum designers for various professional response agencies.
Industry wide partnerships and experience
Our educators are veteran paramedics, who have decades of experience working on 911 ambulances here in BC. They also have experience in many other areas, including:
- Working in a frontline educational leadership position for BCEHS (the provincial ambulance service), with direct involvement in research, curriculum development, and course delivery for paramedics throughout the province.
- Teaching at the Justice Institute of BC (in the Primary Care Paramedic program).
- Conducting First Responder, EMR and Paramedic licensing exams.
- Working as a WorkSafe BC First Aid Officer in support of the Occupational First Aid program.
- Working as an Emergency and Operating room nurse.
- Volunteering as a Search and Rescue Technician.
- Consulting with various organizations and departments in support of their medical programs, including law enforcement, the fire services, the SAR community, and the military.
Nationally certified courses
All of our courses are developed by the Canadian Red Cross, one of the leading developers of First Aid and entry level EMS courses in Canada. Red Cross courses are updated frequently to ensure that they deliver the best standards possible, and they include a wide variety of digital and print materials to support the student’s learning.
Here are some of the courses that we offer at Priority Care:
BC EMALB First Responder and EMR Scope of Practice Upgrade Course:
In 2021 the BC Minister of Health initiated a mandatory process to upgrade the prehospital care provided by EMA license holders in British Columbia (First Responders, Emergency Medical Responders, Primary Care Paramedics, Advanced Care Paramedics, Critical Care Paramedics).
Priority Care has been involved in the development of education to support these new scope of practice enhancements, and we are excited to announce that training is now available so that First Responders and Emergency Medical Responders who are licensed in BC can upgrade their license and improve the care they provide to their patients.
This licensing upgrade has been mandated by the Minister of Health, and must be completed by September, 2024.
Please click HERE to learn more about this exciting new education!
First Responder:
Are you interested in working as a professional first responder or firefighter? If so the Canadian Red Cross First Responder course is for you.
First Responders provide a vital link in the care of the ill and injured patient in the pre-hospital setting. First Responders are often the first professional health care provider that the patient may encounter, and provide invaluable care until emergency medical responders or paramedics arrive to provide more advanced care and transport the patient to the hospital.
In British Columbia first responders are usually firefighters, but also include police officers, search and rescue personnel, coast guard staff, and many others.
Upon succesful completion of our First Responder course you will receive 3 year national First Responder certification, certification in BLS level CPR, and you will be eligible to examine with the British Columbia Emergency Assistant’s Licensing Board to obtain a license to practice in BC’s 911 system as a first responder. Obtaining this license is a necessary step towards seeking employment as a career firefighter.
All First Responder courses delivered by Priority Care include the full 2023 EMALB Scope of Practice update!
Click HERE to learn more about the First Responder course.
Emergency Medical Responder:
Are you interested in a career as a paramedic, or in furthering your advanced first aid knowledge beyond first responder for your fire services career? If so Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course is the right course for you.
Emergency Medical Responder is the base level of care provided by the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) in rural and remote areas, and is the starting point for a career in paramedicine. In these areas Emergency Medical Responders provide a vital link in the care of the ill and injured patient in the pre-hospital setting, providing life saving aid and transportation to the hospital. Outside of paramedicine EMRs often work providing care at large public events, in the oil patch, for some fire departments and Search and Rescue organizations, etc.
EMR is also the pre-requisite to furthering your education in the paramedic field.
Upon successful completion of our emergency medical responder course or EMR Bridging course you will receive 3 year national EMR certification, including certification in BLS level CPR, and you will be eligible to examine with the British Columbia Emergency Assistant’s Licensing Board to obtain a license to practice in BC’s 911 system as an EMR. Obtaining this license is a crucial first step in becoming a paramedic.
All Emergency Medical Responder courses delivered by Priority Care include the full 2023 EMALB Scope of Practice update!
Click HERE to learn more about the Emergency Medical Responder course.
Click HERE to learn more about the accelerated Emergency Medical Responder upgrade course.
Canadian Red Cross Instructor Development:
Ever wondered how to build a successful career as a Canadian Red Cross instructor?
Priority Care is a leader in the delivery of instructor development programs. Our Instructor Trainers and Master Instructor Trainers have decades of experience training new instructors and working directly with the Canadian Red Cross in areas such as course design.
We offer full instructor courses for new instructor candidates, and instructor recertification courses for existing Canadian Red Cross instructors.
Click HERE to learn more about the Red Cross Instructor Development program.
Click HERE to learn more about the Red Cross Instructor Recertification program.