Olympic College launches EMT program for fall 2026

Olympic College will launch a new one-quarter Emergency Medical Technician program beginning in fall 2026, creating a new training pathway for students pursuing careers in healthcare and emergency response.

The program recently received final approval from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and is now recruiting students for its inaugural cohort.

College officials said the new EMT program is designed to help meet growing workforce demand in Kitsap and Mason counties while expanding local access to healthcare training opportunities. The program is supported by Kitsap County Emergency Medical Services and comes as regional training providers work to address a gap created by the discontinuation of Kitsap County’s Community EMS course.

“The launch of Olympic College’s EMT program represents an important step forward in strengthening the healthcare safety net across our region,” said Dr. Alecia Nye, dean of nursing and allied health at Olympic College.

The EMT program is the first academic offering approved under Phase 2 of the college’s Healthcare Expansion Project, a broader initiative aimed at strengthening the regional healthcare workforce pipeline. Additional proposed programs under the expansion include paramedic, dental hygiene, dental assisting and respiratory therapy training.

The program launch was supported in part by $170,000 in combined donations from Peter and Marty Braun and the Poulsbo Rotary Club.

Students completing the program will receive foundational emergency medical training needed to pursue EMT certification and careers in emergency medical services, healthcare and public safety.