Passavant Area Hospital is offering a special opportunity for individuals interested in becoming a volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) provider.

An EMS Provider Class Preview Night will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, in Meeting Room 4 at Passavant. Participants are welcome to come and go during the preview night.

The preview night gives potential volunteers age 18 and older the chance to meet EMS program staff (including Passavant staff and volunteer EMS providers from around the area), view training equipment, learn about the local EMS program and discuss EMS class opportunities and available grants.

“Our first responders are crucial to providing the best pre-hospital care,” said Travis Wilson, EMT-P, LI, Passavant’s assistant EMS coordinator. “We value our current volunteer EMS providers, but we are always looking to increase the base of volunteers in our service area. This preview night is a great way for anyone thinking about volunteering to talk with some of our current EMS volunteers to get a feel for what’s involved.”

Passavant provides emergency medical technician/responder classes for area EMS agencies. The next class starts Jan. 15, 2018, and meets Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m. Anyone with questions about EMS classes can contact Wilson by calling 217-245-9541, ext. 3929.

Last month, the Passavant Foundation provided a $35,000 grant to recruit and train volunteer EMS providers in the Passavant service area.