Boston EMS added 20 new emergency medical technicians to its ranks on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, as Mayor Michelle Wu joined department leaders and the Boston Public Health Commission at Faneuil Hall to mark the end of the latest Boston EMS Recruit Academy and to recognize 12 members who were promoted to new roles, according to the City of Boston.
The ceremony comes as the city’s ambulance service handles a heavy and growing workload. Boston EMS says it responds to more than 141,000 emergency medical incidents a year, which makes it the largest municipal EMS provider in New England. City officials said the new class strengthens the department’s ability to keep up with rising demand for 911 ambulance and dispatch services.
Boston EMS Recruit Academy: What the New EMTs Completed
The Boston EMS Recruit Academy is a full-time, paid program that mixes classroom instruction with supervised field work. The city says it prepares recruits for a wide range of emergencies, including mass casualty incidents, hazardous materials exposures and other high-risk calls. According to the department’s hiring page, the academy runs about six months, and recruits must finish it to move from EMT recruit to department EMT.
The training is not limited to the classroom. During the academy, the 20 graduates collectively responded to more than 2,800 calls to 911, the city said, treating patients with cardiac arrests, behavioral health crises, respiratory illnesses, overdoses and serious traumatic injuries.
Getting into the academy is its own hurdle. Boston EMS hires on an as-needed basis, usually once or twice a year, and sizes each class around current and projected vacancies, typically about 25 candidates, according to Boston.gov. Applicants must already hold a Massachusetts EMT certification and a valid driver’s license, then pass a written exam and a four-station practical exam that includes carrying a 200-pound weighted mannequin down two flights of stairs with a partner. The city notes that the Boston residency requirement for the EMT job has been temporarily suspended for up to three years under the current job posting.
What City Leaders Said at Faneuil Hall
“Today, we’re welcoming 20 new EMTs to Boston EMS and honoring those who have been promoted into new leadership roles,” Wu said in a statement released by the city. “Every day, the skill, professionalism, and compassion of Boston EMS make a difference in every neighborhood across our city.”
Boston EMS Chief James Hooley told the graduates they had spent months learning how to assess patients, make critical decisions and work as a team under pressure. “Today, you join a department with a long tradition of excellence and a responsibility to be there for people when they need us most,” he said.
Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s Commissioner of Public Health, called emergency medical services “an essential part of a healthy and resilient city” and said the department brings care “directly to people when and where they need it most.”
Promotions to Paramedic, Lieutenant and Captain
The department also recognized four EMTs who were recently promoted to paramedic. According to the city, each completed an intensive paramedic program, departmental promotional exams and a three-month field internship before moving up.
In the supervisory ranks, two members were promoted to captain and six to lieutenant. The city said the promoted members bring more than 160 years of combined service and leadership experience to those roles. “Leadership at Boston EMS is earned through experience, judgment, and a commitment to the people we serve,” Hooley said.
Staffing and Demand at Boston EMS
Ambulance staffing has been a recurring topic at City Hall. At an earlier City Council hearing covered by WHDH 7News, Hooley said the department did not have enough people and could “probably use about 50 people tomorrow,” while adding that he would not describe the situation as a crisis. The department said at the time that demand for its services was up 60% compared with 2021 and that median response times were rising. A Boston EMS union official testified that delays in getting an ambulance to a scene come up several times a day across the city.
New academy classes are the main way the department adds front-line staff, which is why each graduation draws attention from councillors and neighborhood groups that track response times. Boston EMS operates as a bureau of the Boston Public Health Commission, so its staffing is tied to the commission’s budget. For more on how public health and public safety spending fit into the city’s finances, see our breakdown of the Boston FY27 budget. The commission has also been active on other fronts, including its recent $1 million in Black men’s health grants, and councillors continue to file public safety and health items, as seen in our recap of the Oct. 7 Boston City Council meeting.
Residents interested in joining the department can find course schedules, exam details and hiring notices on the city’s Boston EMS hiring page. The department says it posts academy openings on its social media accounts and only accepts EMT applications when it is actively hiring.