AUSTIN, Texas — After 10 weeks of intensive training, 29 new cadets will officially be joining the Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) team.
"It's been some hard training, some hard tests, but we've all worked through it together,” said new graduate Ansley Allen.
Class 0123 is the largest academy class since the pandemic began and the second largest cadet class in Austin Travis County's history.
"We're truly moving the needle on the ongoing staffing issues that we're facing in our department,” said Robert Luckritz, Chief for Austin-Travis County EMS.
ATCEMS says their focus is ensuring the community has access to health care resources, so it can reduce the workload on EMTs and paramedics.
"What we're going to see in the coming years is many less ambulances and more community programs that are trying to address ways that we can keep people out of the hospital, instead of taking them to the hospital,” Luckritz said.
On Friday, Allen’s family came in from West Texas for the pinning ceremony.
"I had my dad on stage with me and my great grandpa, Antonio Gonzalez. He was up there with me, he's in his nineties," Allen said.
Today is also special for Allen because she's joining a family that will save lives.
"Getting to be there for them and the worst part of their day or their life and getting to help them and... hopefully bring them some comfort."
Although these new cadets will sacrifice countless hours for the job, the family they gain through the academy goes far beyond just their ten weeks of training.
"I look around and I see the biggest family I've ever had,” said Christina Marsden, another graduate.