The first $15,000 scholarship from East Hampton Village’s new paramedic scholarship program has been awarded to Ariel Engebretson. Ms. Engebretson has been an emergency medical technician with the village for four years. She recently started the Stony Brook University paramedic certificate program. She is also a nursing assistant in the emergency room at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
The scholarship program is funded from donations and contractual money paid by East Hampton Town to the East Hampton Village Ambulance Members, a nonprofit created by the village last fall.
It comes directly from what until recently was the bank account of the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association, which was transferred in July, via court order, to the new nonprofit. In a press release the village noted that “This program will provide up to two volunteer E.M.T.s each year with a 100-percent-cost-free tuition scholarship to advance their training to the paramedic level.”
“We are thrilled to offer this scholarship program to our volunteer E.M.T.s,” said Mayor Jerry Larsen, in a statement. “Their dedication and service are invaluable to our community. By supporting their advancement to the paramedic level, we are investing in the future of our E.M.S. team and ensuring that our residents receive the highest standard of emergency care.”
Likewise, Mary Mott, the chief of the Emergency Medical Service Department, said, “This scholarship program is a significant step forward for our department. It allows us to build a stronger, more skilled team of paramedics who are equipped to handle a wide range of medical emergencies. We are grateful for the support from the village and are eager to see our E.M.T.s grow and succeed.”
E.M.T.s who accept the scholarship must be current volunteers in the village and commit to volunteering with its E.M.S. Department for five years following the completion of their training.
Applications for the scholarship program are now available.
