WAI'ANAE — One conversation between a nonprofit and local government led to another to create the first Emergency Medical Technician or (EMT) program on the Leeward Coast.
The five-month long program, which includes both classroom and hands-on training, started Feb. 2 with a cohort of 12 members, all from or with ties to West O’ahu. It purpose is to strengthen emergency medical services capacity, while creating career pathways for those on the West Side.
Federally qualified health center Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) in collaboration with The City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services held a launch party Friday, celebrating the community-based initiative that “was a long time coming,” according to WCCHC Board Member Dan Gomes. There were nearly 75 officials, WCCHC staff and community members in attendance.
Gomes, a longtime Waiʻanae resident, shared a personal story about a time when he needed an EMT’s help. “This profession will have a huge impact on so many lives,” he said at the Welcome Event Friday. “It’s a badly needed resource out here.”
WCCHC President and CEO Rich Bettini added, gesturing to the recruits: "Look at these folks here, these are our neighbors and friends. These are our family. So many programs require training to get into health care. You have to go all the way to town. … As one of the largest employers on the West Side, we employ over 700 people and want to make sure most of those jobs go to those in the community. And so, this is a step in that direction. There’s going to be more programs like this.”
Bettini recognized those present from Kapiʻolani Community College’s EMS program, as well as the mayor and his team, “who made this all happen.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi returned the favor, calling Bettini "one of his heroes," after ditching his script to give his regards. “If you get to a moment like this, understanding what this represents, the gratification … to see the vision of this become a reality, seeing what can happen when people collaborate and address a need."
"This is the beginning of something and you [the recruits] get to be that foundation to which we stand, to build on your success. This is powerful stuff," he continued.
Aloha State Daily spoke with Myrakle Nakea-Brown, a recruit from Nānakuli, about what the experience has been like so far. She said that the time is going by fast and that she’s enjoying the friends she’s been making along the way.
“It’s fun and involves a lot of studying. I’m learning a lot,” Nakea-Brown noted.
She told ASD that she has always wanted to be in the medical field, specifically as a registered nurse, so the new EMT program “is a stepping stone for that.”
Her advice to others who might be interested in the next cohort of this program is: Find your people. “They make the exhaustion, tears, struggle all of it worth it.”
Recruits are in the process of developing EMT skills, including proper cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, trauma wound care and monitoring blood pressure and oxygen levels, per an announcement from the county. Come June, the county says recruits who complete the program “will meet all requirements for licensure as an Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (EMT-B) with the state and be eligible to work as EMTs for the City and County of Honolulu.”
Honolulu EMS pays for recruits’ salaries and benefits while in the training program.
As of late 2025, “EMS has 249 first responders: paramedics, EMTs and dispatchers. There is a shortage of 24. An academy class of 19 recruits will start in early 2026,” Hawai’i News Now reported.
WCCHC is committed to providing heath care education and workforce development, preparing "people from the community to serve its community," officials with the organization said. To learn more about existing training programs, click here.
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
