I HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE INTERESTED!! I took the 5 week condensed course from late May - late June. It is a high volume of information in a short period of time and will require you to put your best foot forward, but my instructor Crystal did an incredible job preparing us for every exam and ultimately helping us digest/comprehend all of the new information my classmates and I were exposed to. She shows a genuine concern for the success of her students and will always go above and beyond to answer any questions that you have for her, whether that's during class or outside of it. We spent several hours each week practicing the practical skills of the job (administering oxygen in different ways, assessing medical/trauma scenarios, CPR, splinting extremities, loading patients properly, and more). Beyond getting repetitions with the hands on situations of becoming an EMT, we are required to put together notebooks throughout each block defining many different terms in fine detail. These "signs/symptoms" notebooks help GREATLY with truly understanding how to figure out the necessary treatment for patients and are an amazing baseline!! We began with almost 50 students and finished class with just over 20. That being said, all of us that worked to make it to the end were EXTREMELY over-prepared for our NREMT exams and all of us have passed with flying colors. HUGE thank you to Crystal and Jackie for allowing us to receive such a WONDERFUL first impression in our careers with prehospital care and the medical field!!!! read more

I took the 5 week course with Crystal and she was amazing!! It is true that around half the class often don't make it (or at least didn't in our case), but I truly believe that the majority of students who really wanted it and worked for it succeeded, so please don't let that intimidate you! If you aren't willing to listen to lectures in a classroom all day just to go home and study a lot more, consider a longer course. But regardless, it's 100% doable if you put in the work. Our instructor, Crystal, was beyond helpful. The class is very well structured, and she did a great job of keeping lectures engaging with stories from the field as well as practical advice you can't necessarily find in a textbook. She is also super kind and funny, and you can tell she's very passionate about her job and wants everyone to succeed. Couldn't have asked for a better instructor! The class consists of 4 tests (70% of your grade), 4 quizzes (20% of your grade), a Signs and Symptoms Notebook (5% of your grade), and JBL quizzes (also 5%). The last 2 are free points, but take the time and really understand the questions you're answering and study the heck out of your S&S Notebook!! It will save you for quizzes and tests! I finished top of my class so here's some advice! Read the textbook if you have time, it has genuinely everything you'll need to succeed. DON'T primarily rely on Quizlet, but that being said, it is a pretty great tool so definitely use it to supplement your studying before tests and quizzes. Take notes during lecture, or do whatever you need to do to stay engaged with the content. The more you see/hear something, the better it will stick. There is sooo much content in this course, so repetition is your best friend!! I also used Gemini and Claude to create study guides and practice questions. Finally, make friends in the class! I found such an amazing community in mine, and we'd all study together and share resources and uplift each other when it got tough. I genuinely don't think I would have done as well in the class without my wonderful classmates! Overall, I'm so happy I took this class and feel truly prepared for whatever comes next. Best of luck if you decide to take the class!! read more

I had a fantastic experience with West Coast EMT. I took the accelerated 5 week course with Crystal as our class instructor. Let me start off by advising anyone considering the 5 week course to not underestimate the challenge. The EMT scope of practice may not seem very large, but the amount of knowledge you need to learn is vast. The course requires a 1500+ page textbook and you WILL need to learn the entirety of that book in the four weeks of lecture you have at your disposal. It's tough. Our class of nearly 50 had less than 20 graduates. You need to have a good work ethic, pay attention in class, and quite frankly being a good test taker will take you far. With all this being said, our instructor Crystal did a phenomenal job and prepared us better than I believe anyone else could have with the amount of material we needed to learn in the amount of time we needed to learn it. Combining a wealth of real world experience with an extremely impressive/comprehensive knowledge of all things EMS/Anatomy/Physiology Crystal did an exemplary job of teaching us what we needed to learn and preparing us for the NREMT after. I am grateful for the instruction I received and the experience as a whole. read more

Crystal is an amazing and thoughtful teacher, she really made the course easy to follow and enjoyable. I definitely recommend having a good understanding of anatomy, and some medical terminology before taking the class and reading the first couple of chapters of the textbook prior to taking the class. The accelerated course is TOUGH, but it's rewarding if you put in the work. Warning you won't have much time for anything else for these five weeks, it's basically go to lecture and study. I had just enough time for the gym and getting some decent sleep, if you slack off you won't pass and you won't get your money back if it's more than a week and a half in which most people don't fail till the last 2 weeks. MAKE SURE you are prepared and ready to dedicate yourself if your taking the accelerated course and it will definitely feel impossible at some point, but don't give up because it's definitely worth it when you pass. The nremt was a breeze compared to this class read more

The full time class instructor Crystal was amazing! She prepared us really well for each exam and you can tell she cares about her students. It's a hard class but if you study and listen to what she's saying in class you'll do good. read more

Best EMT school! Amanda was an amazing teacher and the entire program was great. Thanks!

I usually never take the time to write negative reviews but I honestly wouldn't recommend anyone take this course. I have also worked in education program management and I would not run my programs like this. I took the Saturday class from January - March 2025, took a leave of absence, and then continued until early August 2025. I did not expect to pass this class (and didn't). Feedback below: Associated costs: Class payment + uniform. This is standard, but you would think that if they required students to be in class all day, they would have more outlets or amenities to use for the amount you pay. They do not provide any WiFi which can be frustrating. Also they turn the AC on to where it is intentionally very cold in the classroom, whether it's to keep students awake or to make you buy more of their clothes, it's unclear. You cannot wear non-branded tops in class - freezing? Better cough up $30-50 for their long sleeve or sweater. I asked to turn it down repeatedly as other students and I were so cold, and they wouldn't. The coffee maker looks gross and there are no sinks except for those in the bathrooms, and no water fountains. Curriculum: The classes move fast, but all you will experience is hours of your teacher reading from the slides. They already tell you to read from the book, you would think the teachers would get in depth about need-to know areas. If you ask what to parse, they just tell you to memorize the whole book. *Lectures will not help you for this class.* If you are engaging in other obligations and do not have the time to spend hours studying the material for this class multiple times a week, then do not take the class. Professors: This will really make or break how enjoyable or informative your class will be. The teacher I had in Spring 2025 was just straight disrespectful as she talked to adults as if they were children. Sure, the class skews very young with a few folks older than 30s, but she would routinely mention not wanting to "baby" us for drills, skills practice, etc. The teacher from Summer 2025 was great and did what he could. Also read from slides (that's just how the school is), but tried to make the content engaging and add his experience as an emt to it. He talked to students as if they were regular professionals and was great. If you do take this course, I hope you get to take it with him (Ryan). Skills: you are not "tested" on anything until the end. The skills tests are you just going through the motions of the drill and hopefully your class size is enough to where you can actually get feedback. Until the final skills assessment, they just auto pass you on all skills. The skills days are also dependent on whether they can find instructors. Do they just ask last minute? We had classes where the teacher would just work with one group at a time because they didn't have anyone to come in. At that point, it's the blind leading the blind. Ride alongs: Our instructor told us only those with the best grades would ride with Firefighters - the rest are IFT. This ended up not being true because I asked the scheduler and they just said it would depend on when the availability matched as Fire has a smaller window. Also, they ask you to submit your dates of availability within the first two sessions. So, you might end up on a ride alongs in your first month where you don't know anything. Exams: you'll have quizzes and a "block exam" that covers 7-10 chapters at a time. You will not get exams back, and just get chapter information on what content you got wrong. Chapters can be 60 pages long - why wouldn't they hand back exams so we can work on what we do not know? This was such a waste of time and money. read more

Just passed my final exam and am so glad I chose this program. Amanda was a fantastic instructor. She was not only thorough, but she is well experienced and very knowledgeable. If you choose this location, I highly recommend her! read more

Amazing class. I had fun and Crystal is the greatest teacher ever. I won't sugar coat it, the 5 week course is challenging and you need to pay attention and remain disciplined if you want to pass. It's a character builder. The best advice I can give future students is take it one block at a time and knock out all of your JBL quizzes and signs and symptoms each weekend so then you can put all your focus towards studying for the Thursday exams. Downloading the Pocket Prep app, watching Paramedic coach YouTube vids and learning the mnemonics before the class starts will definitely give you an advantage as well. Also don't be afraid to ask questions even if you think they are dumb. Crystal loves to help and always gives the best explanations. Our skill instructors Johnny and Tatum were super dope and helpful too. Also Jackie did an amazing job being our commander and chief behind the scenes. Thank you West Coast for turning our class into EMT champs. Good luck everybody! read more

West Coast EMT - CPR Classes Near Me - Riverside, California

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Amazing program, Amanda and Ryan are great! I took the Tues-Thurs Evening class while working full time and it is definitely doable if you are committed and have time management! read more

I did the 3 month evening class with Amber as my instructor. I learned so much within the class timeframe and felt very supported the whole time . The skills instructors that would come in and teach and were very helpful as well . Specifically Louie and Nick , they gave a lot of great advice on different methods regarding CPR , NRB and even back board. Highly recommend this school , I learned a lot and felt very prepared going into the field . read more

Avoid This EMT Program - Instructor Is a Joke This instructor is completely unfit to be teaching EMTs. All she does is ramble about irrelevant paramedic stories from years ago. She hasn't run a 911 call in forever, has a wrist injury, and looks like she couldn't carry a jump bag--let alone save a life. Even worse, there was zero mention of communicable diseases--no MRSA, no VRE, no C. diff. Are we just skipping infection control now? She's setting up a wave of IFT incompetence, and these students don't know any better. I'll be filing complaints with BPPE and ESMA. Save yourself--go literally anywhere else if you actually want to learn how to care for patients and be fire. *Crystal read more

Don't let negative reviews deter you from this program - my experience was nothing short of amazing! Crystal is an incredible instructor who genuinely wants to see her students succeed. She was there for us every step of the way, thoroughly answering every single question our class had. The thing I really appreciated with her teaching style was her ability to always tie in real-life, practical examples, making the material truly stick and preparing us for the field. She also kept the course engaging by encouraging us to participate in open ended questions and creating games to help us learn. Her dedication and expertise made a challenging course manageable and incredibly rewarding. It's true this is a 5 week accelerated class, and it demands serious commitment. About 50% of my class didn't pass, but frankly, those who struggled didn't approach the class with the necessary seriousness or put in the required work. If you're enrolling, be prepared to put in the effort - the results are absolutely worth it. 3 months out of the class I am working full time with AMR and loving it!!! Even the brief 5-10 minute cleaning session at the end of each day was a positive. Some people complained, but really it just promoted teamwork within our class, fostered a sense of humility, and encouraged ownership over the environment we were spending so much time in. It's a small reflection of the responsibility you need to take in emergency services when you are decontaminating the gurney and ambulance after every single call. To those of you leaving poor reviews, I encourage you to take some ownership over your life and stop blaming others for your shortcomings. That attitude will not get you very far in this field! For anyone considering this program, I highly recommend it, but understand it's not a walk in the park. If you're willing to put in the work, you'll have an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience, just like I did! read more

Amber was a great teacher I felt so good through this course! If you guys have her you'll be in goods hands. Good luck everyone!

Come learn and take Amanda's class. Great teacher. I learned so much highly recommend it hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Amanda is a great teacher who provides pizza. W teacher. W program. Study hard work hard. And pizza will be provided. You got this!

Its a good school however, The 5 week course should not be an option. Crystal is a good teacher, uses personal experience to teach but the things she teaches and talks about are on none of the Quizzes or Exams you will take. 98% of the class that starts the 5 week does not make it to the 4th week despite being told you have to have an 80% at the end of week 4. The 5 week course is basically you learning everything by yourself. You need to read the entire book to have an understanding of the 5 week course material. Skills instructors are sometimes cool, They give good advice and tell you what you need to do as people who had previously taken the WCEMT courses. Some are assholes and will tell you that youre dumb for taking the 5 week and nothing the teacher says or the book says is right. All in all its a great school with amazing people running it! I recommend the 12 week course over 5 week read more

I feel like the 5 star reviews for this school are fishy. It's an expensive EMT school in which the "teacher" doesn't actually teach but instead reads from a powerpoint and periodically asks "any questions". Testing and not allowing students to review what they got wrong is not "teaching". If you are not neurotypical or take a little longer to learn, they don't care. There is zero support for students. Their pass rate is likely 25% or below and I don't see how these people can sleep at night knowing they aren't actually educating but just running a Hunger Games style class. Oh, and getting your students to clean the bathrooms and classrooms with their already limited time in class instead of using that time to review test results is really telling of how they feel about their students. Take your EMT class somewhere where the instructors actually want you to pass. This place is a grift. read more

Overall my experience with west coast riverside was amazing. Wonderful staff from Jackie our head coordinator and my classes instructor Amber and the skills instructors Louie, Jake and Jason and many other were ultimately the key to my success. I truly feel that this course will prepare you not only for your nremt the first time around but for your jobs in ems. At times instructors were tough but it's because they truly care for your education and future which is rare to see in an education setting. I've looked into other ems schools and talked to many other students and west coast emt students and all have nothing but good things to say and from my group they have all shown success in their goals after class. Therefore speaking as a past "Best in the West" emt student from west coast now holding my certification in hand west coast emt riverside is truly an amazing place to start your ems journey. read more

My son took this program over the summer for his college EMT volunteer program. It was the accelerated Mon - Thurs program all day. It was quite intense and he was basically studying in the weekday evenings and on Sat and Sun. His just took his National EMT exam and passed in less than hour with just 70 questions (The National EMT exam is adaptive). The program is very challenging and students should realize that those who are not progressing in the weekly exams may be dropped from the program. If you put in the work (daily studying) and study smart, you will pass and be ready to take the National EMT exam. He had a fun time in the 2 ride a longs that West Coast sets up for you. Great program. read more

10/01/25 To all the parents like myself who are considering sending their newly graduated high school student to West Coast EMT, please think twice. This program has been an incredibly disappointing and frustrating experience. What they advertise as a stepping stone into a respected and important career is, in my opinion, a scam that takes advantage of young, hopeful students who don't know any better. My son worked incredibly hard, holding down a part-time job to save up the $1,600 tuition, only to be kicked out of the program just two weeks before it ended because he couldn't maintain an 80% average. Why? Because of incompetent instruction. Instead of being guided and taught with care, students are subjected to instructors who simply rush through PowerPoints with no regard for whether the material is actually understood. One instructor in the accelerated course, Krystal, stood out for all the wrong reasons. She seemed more interested in collecting a paycheck than in helping students succeed. Her teaching style consisted of reading slides and rushing through content, leaving students lost and unsupported. If students are failing, it's not always because they aren't trying, it's often a reflection of poor instruction and that's exactly what happened here.  Even worse, students were discouraged and demoralized by one particular skill instructor making comments like, "You won't pass, you won't find any jobs, all the accelerated EMT students are the worse" or "You don't have a future in this field." That kind of talk is not only unprofessional, it's cruel and disheartening. These students deserve to be encouraged, not crushed. West Coast EMT seems more interested in collecting tuition than in educating and supporting their students. With over 50 students per cohort, that's well over $50,000 collected and yet, they don't take a moment to consider why so many are struggling or being dropped before completion. This school didn't just take my son's money, they took his confidence and aspirations. As a parent, I am heartbroken and angry. Shame on you, West Coast EMT. Do better! read more

An amazing class and experience. Crystal is truly one of the best, Jackie is amazing, the skills instructors are amazing and supportive, and the program itself is incredible. Highly recommend for anyone looking at EMT course's. read more

Just took an EMT class with West Coast Riverside. Amber is the most amazing instructor!!!

Amber Norman was a phenomenal teacher. At the beginning of this course, I was unsure if I was going to pass the first go around. Fortunately for me, my instructor Amber delivered the course material VERY effectively, despite it being a lot of information to absorb at once. Very grateful to have her as teacher and would definitely do it all again with her as my instructor, but because she was so awesome I don't have to :) read more

Great program for someone looking to start their EMS journey.I highly recommend taking the accelerated course and making sure it is with Crystal, she is a great instructor and will answer any questions you have. The accelerated course is indeed hard but if you put the time in outside the class, pay attention and ask questions, it is very doable! read more

West Coast EMT - Back board practice - CPR Classes Near Me - Riverside, California

Just finished the accelerated course, holy moly is it difficult. Expect to study as soon as you go home and do all the homework. This homework is NOT useless. It literally helps you remember specific terms that you'll find useful when your out in the field. Making friends is a great way to get some studying in, but don't do that thing where you all agree to study and then end up talking about other things. Get to know your instructor, yeah they're the teacher, but they have copious amounts of experience in the field and can help you with advice on what to do next. Plus, they're actually really cool, I had Crystal the G.O.A.T and it was cool hearing all her stories and experiences in the field, expect lots of dad jokes if you have her as an instructor! The most important tips that I can give is that, you might have to clear your schedule for the month and Expect to actually use the book. Remember in college when you bought the class book and never used it? That is not the case for this class. The tests are based from things IN the book. I wish you luck in whatever career your going into, but this is the first step, take this seriously. read more

Just completed my EMT course last night! I chose the Sunday class from 8am-5 pm which allowed me the flexibility to still work while studying to become an EMT. I was definitely challenged as this schedule requires a lot of discipline and self study, but I did it! The 80% pass criteria was a little intimidating at first, but it makes sense for the healthcare field and I wouldn't have it any other way. Toby Bender was my instructor and I feel very lucky to have been his student. He is extremely knowledgeable due to his experience in EMS and his teaching style really helped to solidify information. If you need extra help with skills or in understanding a concept, Toby will sit down with you if you ask, making everything clear as day. As long as you put your mind to it and have the drive to pass this course, you will do just fine. The course also allows some leniency as they allow you to retake your lowest exam if you haven't met the 80% requirement before taking the final. Do the homework, read as much as you can, and use ALL of the supplemental materials you're provided with. Make sure to study skills as much as you can as well. I feel super confident that I will pass the NREMT on the first try. Thank you Toby and West Coast for challenging me and teaching me how to be a competent EMT :) read more

Had a class with Toby recently and I could confidently say that I would not have had this much fun while learning if it wasn't for him. It was a difficult but super rewarding class and I just wanted to thank Toby for the awesome classes and personal stories shared. I loved every single skills instructor that came in as well! read more

Toby Bender was the best instructor and there's no one I would rather take the class with. He is an excellent teacher. If I could go back in time, I would take the class with Toby every time. He brings comedy, personal experience, and his knowledge into every class and he truly knows how to make his class enjoyable. There are not many teachers who are able to explain the way Toby does-- he knows how to entertain his students while explaining things in the clearest way possible. If Toby didn't have such a passion for EMT, I would say he should be a teacher because the way he teaches is an art. I had a great experience with West Coast EMT. Thank you Toby and all of the other amazing staff members!!!! read more

West Coast EMT - CPR Classes Near Me - Riverside, California

I took the part time course on Saturdays with Toby Bender. HE IS AN AMAZING INSTRUCTOR. He's very experienced in the field and teaches you plenty of tips and tricks he's learned along the way. The course is not easy, but having a good instructor made it wayyy more manageable. There is a lot of self study involved here, and with the other courses such as the full time too. YOU HAVE TO READ. If you get distracted like I do, listen to the audio book that will be on your homework website that they provide. It helped me a bunch! I could still listen to my chapters for that block and do errands around the house. I highly recommend this course! They genuinely want you to succeed. read more

West Coast EMT - West coast EMT Riverside campus - CPR Classes Near Me - Riverside, California

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It was an amazing 5 weeks full time with Crystal! I passed my NREMT yesterday. First and foremost, Crystal is the best teacher one could ask for in EMS training. Her lectures are knowledgeable, fun, and challenging at the same time. With years of real life experience in the field, she has a lot of stories and eye-opening videos to share. Look no further if you want good quality training to become an EMT. Few tips to succeed in class: Start with her study guides as early as possible Make valuable, lifelong friendships and encourage each other Schedule your ambulance ride outs either early on or after the finals so you have more time to study. read more

Not typically one to leave reviews but WCEMT is definitely deserving. I took the accelerated course with Crystal and it was definitely worth it. I passed the class and passed the NREMT in 70 questions. This class is no joke though, I recommend picking up your book early and reading as much as possible. When you get home after class read/study for another couple hours. Finish the s/s notebook and the homework quizzes early in the week so you have more time to study for the tests. Crystal is a great teacher and her slides are very helpful. You will almost certainly feel overwhelmed but if you put the time and take it serious you will pass. I also recommend downloading the pocket prep app which helped me study for both the class and NREMT. Lastly make sure you don't neglect your skills either, in my opinion that was the most stressful day out of them all. Good luck and thanks again to Crystal and the entire WCEMT team! read more

Lectures: - the online lectures mostly were read directly off the slide with occasional work stories from the instructor to drive home a topic. To make most of these lectures..just read before class and ask questions. Be proactive. You paid good money to be here so be a diligent student. Advice to WCEMT: review these lectures of the instructors. Slides should not be skipped breezing through content. Students cared enough to spend good money here and we expect the lectures to be returned in the same respect. Homework: - Is it easy? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. Will you be completely lost at times? Yes. However, READ the material and ask questions. You should be taking the quizzes nearly every day after you read. Put in the work and don't be lazy. On campus instruction: - now, coming from the lecture I figured this would be a bit rough. However, I was pleasantly surprised. HILLARY was what made this course stick. She loves to help students, she cares about your success and will take a pause to help you learn why x,y,z are happening. There were plenty of times I was lost or confused. I raised my hand and Hillary helped answer my confusion WITH detail. Thank you West Coast for having her aboard. She is an absolute asset to this program. Ernie, Sarah- thank you for your guidance as instructors! You're all amazing! Overall difficulty of the school: - I recently attended this location and passed the course. I had enrolled in the "part time" class. However, just know this is anything BUT part time. The class is accelerated so just have your expectations ready from the jump. Just be aware this won't be easy. It's not intended to be. The lectures can be better. On-site instruction is your best chance to ask questions since it's hands on with amazing instructors (names mentioned above). Enjoy the experience, welcome new people , welcome new ideas and dive in. Thanks again WCEMT read more

To be honest, crystal is the BEST instructor I can ever ask for. She really prepare you for the NREMT. I can't say it was the most easiest thing, but if you do the work, it really pays off. Jackie is the most sweetest, friendliest and helpful person. She is super fast in grading quizzes and exams and also will help you out with anything. The skills instructors are a big help as well. They are very knowledgeable, and will help you a ton. read more

I thought Hilary, Ernie, and Toby were amazing, as they really taught me a lot and made learning so much material in such a short time easy. I thought Shaun was unnecessarily rude. He made it seem like he had something against the Riverside class or me. read more

West coast was the best school! I was in the accelerated class with crystal and she is by far the best teacher out there! In the process of studying for the NREMT but she was the best and honestly super helpful. The class was pretty intimidating because of the higher than 80% mark but if you put in the time and dedication, it wouldn't be so hard. Also the skills instructors are the best! Naiana, Dylan, literally all of them just want to help you pass. On skills days though, take the time to actually perform the skill rather than just sit back and watch. Trust me, it'll help you out in the long run! They're easy and all you really need to do is verbalize. Anyway, crystal was a great instructor and I would recommend anyone to take the accelerated class. :) read more

Course is amazing, it's very demanding and you will get out what you put in. Crystal was an amazing instructor and got along with the entire class! Gave us everything possible to pass and helped us a lot with the after course process! Highly recommend this course to anyone looking to involve themselves in the EMS community! Thank you Crystal read more

I love crystal and jackie and jared and amanda great instructors would do it again might have to do it again

This class is extreme. It's a lot. I took the one month course and if you're not sleeping, eating, breathing this class, then you're not doing enough. I used my lunch break to do hw and study, other breaks were used to go over flat cards with friends in class. Don't burn yourself out. Give yourself a little time in the day to truly relax and not think about homework but DONT overdue it. I wouldn't suggest working or doing school on top of this even if you take the longer course. If you'd have to, them do what you'd gotta do. Obviously the more studying you do, the better your chances of passing. I had awesome classmates and we were all a team from the beginning. Ask lots of questions, go through the book, USE JBL QUIZZES, LECTURE NOTES, PPTS, ASSESSMENT IN ACTION! Wal;k around to different people and join in conversations. The more you learn, the better. It's so rewarding to get to the end and graduate with everyone! Love this course! Also, expect to pay around $400+ more for uniform, book, and then other things after you graduate such as fingerprinting, NREMT, and DMV paperwork. TAKE 10 MINUTES OF YOUR DAY, EVERYDAY, TO LEARN ONE NEW THING ABOUT ANY OF YOUR SKILLS! read more

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This is the best school to become a EMT! Crystal was an amazing instructor and her lectures were very thorough and she always stopped to answer any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and prepared our class well to pass the final , skills, and now national! Thank you West coast EMT For the stellar education! It was a tough 5 weeks but I feel well prepared to handle any situation in the field! read more