VIDEO: More medics will respond to calls across the city and county as Austin-Travis County EMS continues to grow its staff. The department graduated its largest cadet class in history in March. “We graduated 38 sworn field providers. So those new cadets hit the streets. They are now sworn medics,” ATCEMS Chief of Staff Wesley Hopkins said. The new graduates helped fill open positions and bring down the department’s vacancy rate. Hopkins said that number was high just a few years ago. Hopkins said a realistic goal is to get the vacancy rate in the single digits. He believes thatโs achievable as they continue with their cadet classes. Thanks to additional funding, he said theyโre able to increase the number of academies to three per year.
