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W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 18 W hen you call 911, every second mat- t e r s . Y e t e m e r - gency medical services services across the country are increas- ingly strained. A 2025 study from the Univer- sity of Washington's Center for Health Workforce Studies found that 23% of EMS professionals left the field in 2023, up from 16% in 2018, meaning nearly one in four workers exited the profession. These shortages contribute to increased burnout, longer re- sponse times and added pressure on an already strained emergency care system. In Maine, the challenge is even greater, with an aging population of both providers and residents and vast rural areas that require longer response times. Filling EMS workforce gaps Building a pipeline of trained pro- fessionals is essential to Maine's emergency health care system. The Maine Community College System has responded to work- force shortages through targeted training programs and commu- nity partnerships designed to move students quickly from the classroom to the ambulance. Finances and distance were major barriers preventing many prospective Emergency Medical Technicians and paramedics from entering the field, according to Don Sheets, EMS program coordinator at MCCS. Funding from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan and the Harold Alfond Center allows MCCS to offer qualifying EMT and Advanced EMT (AEMT) programs free of charge. MCCS is also expanding access to training. Washington County h e a lt h c a r e Building Maine's EMS workforce amid growing shortages B Y S L O A N E M . P E R R O N P H O T O / A D O B E S T O C K SECONDS MATTER