I believe the new requirement for EMS Educators is unrealistic. We are already required to teach 50 hours and attend an update class. I am also required to have 72 credit hours of continuing education for my paramedic, some of which may be the classes that I taught. I am also required by my jurisdiction to keep several American Heart Association certifications up to date. Now I am also required to attend an additional 12 hours of continuing education to continue to be an instructor? Who pays for this requirement? Myself? The taxpayer? This new requirement is a huge burden on the small education workforce within EMS in Virginia. Please do not penalize the Educators for wanting to teach. I support a continuing education mandate, but 12 hours is extreme.

Also, to my knowledge, there is no other teaching or public service vocation that requires its personnel to retake the initial certification test every two years. This regulation forces EMT-Instructors to retake the initial certification test with every certification renewal. The new regulations will cause a significant decrease in the amount of EMS educators in the state.