John Chemaly, Trinity EMS, Lane Glenn, NECC, Christopher Dick, Trinity EMS

When John Chemaly, president of Trinity E.M.S. Inc., realized the local emergency medical services industry was experiencing a shortage of trained paramedics six or seven years ago, he asked Northern Essex Community College to develop a paramedic technology program. Now, his company is giving that program and the college a financial boost.

Trinity E.M.S. has pledged $100,000 over the next five years to purchase equipment for the Paramedic Technology Program at Northern Essex. The program will be moving to NECC’s new Dr. Ibrahim El-Hefni Allied Health and Technology Center on Common Street in Lawrence which is scheduled to open this fall.

And that’s not all. In addition to the $100,000 pledge, Trinity E.M.S. has also donated an ambulance fully equipped with state-of-the-art emergency medical equipment to the college. The ambulance is embedded in the Dr. Ibrahim El-Hefni Allied Health and Technology Center and will be used to train EMT’s and paramedics.

“I’m committed to doing anything I can to help this college continue its good work,” says Chemaly. “Our partnership with the college has benefited our company and the delivery of emergency medical care in the region.”

“Industry leaders like John Chemaly are committed to helping Northern Essex offer the very best in academic programming,” says Jean Poth, NECC vice president of institutional advancement. “This donation will allow us to train more individuals for jobs in emergency medicine.

Northern Essex offers a certificate and associate degree in paramedic technology and a seven-credit basic EMT course through the iHealth program.

According to the US Bureau of Labor, employment of EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.

For additional information on this donation, contact Jean Poth, vice president of institutional advancement, 978 556-3624 or jpoth@necc.mass.edu.