Welcome to USCG EMS School
Arrival and Departure
The Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma Reporting website contains complete information for reporting to the TRACEN by air, bus or automobile. If you are unable to connect to the website, contact the School staff for assistance. Please review those directions and the Welcome Aboard Pamphlet carefully in addition to these important details. Note: Do not make departure plans prior to 1600 on the final Friday.
Transportation from the bus stop to the TRACEN is limited to commercial taxi or the TRACEN's liberty van. Please note the TRACEN's recommendation to use commercial taxi service, a 20 minute drive from the Airport Express stop to the Training Center, because of the limited liberty van schedule. Current one-way taxi fares are approximately $30. The Airport Express bus driver can call ahead for a taxi if you wish to avoid waiting once you arrive in Petaluma. Total travel time from the San Francisco airport to TRACEN Petaluma is approximately two hours. Check-in is at Horsley Hall.
If you experience travel delays enroute and need to leave a message for the School staff, you can leave a message with the School Chief 707-765-7639. You can also leave a message with the Training Center's police department, 24 hours daily, at 707-765-7215.
There are limited dining services for students arriving after the TRACEN galley closes. Options include the Coast Guard Exchange System (CGES) Mini Mart, Two Rock Coffee Company, Two Rock Pizza, and Subway (enter ZIP code 94952 into the search box).
About the schools
The EMT course is seven weeks long, and is meets or exceeds the requirements of the DOT and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for certification and registration. EMT Recertification and Transition is a three day course which fulfills the core hours required for recertification, and also transitions the current EMT-Basic to the new NREMT standards.
All class starts Monday morning at 0730 in the EMT classroom, Bldg. 122, directly up the hill from the Command Building (across the street from the flagpole). We recommend that you locate the classroom upon your arrival. Your TDY orders have assigned you to the EMS School for the duration of your course. It is extremely important that you dedicate yourself to this school during that time. Poor performance during training may result in your failure to complete the course.
What to Bring to School
Uniform of the day is ODU with boots. Unit specific clothing such as flight jackets, float coats, coveralls, foul weather jackets, and fleece liners without the parka are not authorized at this training command. Appropriate gym gear is required for lab practice (female personnel are required to have a sports bra). A padlock is required in the BEQ; we also recommend you bring towels and hangers since the BEQ does not issue these items. Weather in Petaluma fluctuates dramatically, so prepare accordingly with both uniform and civilian clothing. Other items that you may want to bring include a camera, personal alarm clock or radio, sweater or jacket, rainjacket, personal athletic clothing, and a backpack. The climate is moderate but mornings and evenings can be cool because of the Training Center's proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
Before You Get Here
To become better prepared to succeed as an EMT student, begin memorizing the NREMT Skill Sheets prior to your arrival, especially the Medical Assessment and Trauma Assessment. Don’t worry if you don’t fully understand what the items on the skill sheets mean yet. Simply memorizing these sheets will give you a significant advantage in EMT School. If interested, give HS1 David Lemley a call at 707-765-7268 and he will explain what we are talking about.
Communications
Your mail should be addressed to:
(Your Name)
c/o USCG EMS Schools
USCG Training Center
599 Tomales Road
Petaluma, CA 94952-5000
Telephone messages may be left with the School Chief at (707) 765-7639 or with any EMS Instructor. Facsimiles may be sent to (707) 765-7495. The Training Center does not have DSN capabilities.
Top ten pieces of advice from former students
10. Find a CG EMT and ask them what to expect and how to prepare.
9. Start studying today. Unfortunately, we cannot mail out textbooks; you may find materials from any local EMT’s in your area, and many online resources. On average, students spend 3-5 hours after class covering new material and preparing for upcoming tests. Currently we are using AAOS Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured, Tenth Edition.
8. Memorize the skill sheets, particularly trauma and medical assessments. It will save you time and cut down on the stress level.
7. Visit our school website. This is a great starting point for both the new and the experienced pre-hospital provider.
6. Study CPR 2010 Guidelines. You will be tested on your first day in Basic Life Support with a written test the next day. We have disenrolled students in the past due to poor performance on the first day!
5. Ensure that you are physically and mentally prepared for the long days and nights ahead.
4. Basic anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology are the foundations on which the rest of the training will build. Get a firm grasp of these prior to the course.
3. Arrive on Saturday before school. This allows you to check in, get a room, locate the classroom, and become accustomed to the time change.
2. Call the EMT School or the school chief ASTC A. Amescua if you have any questions.
1. THIS SCHOOL IS NOT EASY. This is not a “vacation” C-School; in fact, students commonly refer to this as the hardest C-School they have attended (basically a full semester of college-level education compressed into 7 weeks). The information will not be fed to you. You will have to work hard for these seven weeks. This course holds a consistent waiting list of 80 students or more. If being an EMT is not your desire, please ask your command to contact headquarters (HS1 Gleyce Sciullo 202-475-5167) and allow another Coast Guard member to take your seat. Do not simply substitute another member without approval of headquarters.
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