FSCJ, Duval Schools Launch EMT Program at Raines

Nearly a dozen students at Raines High School can train to become certified EMTs by graduation, at no cost to them or their families.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Financial Aid

Photograph of an emergency stretcher and training manikin on a clean classroom floor beside folded blue medical blankets, lit by soft window daylight. — Florida State College at Jacksonville and Duval County Public Schools launched an EMT training program inside Raines High School, letting nearly a dozen students earn certification at no cost. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should local high schools offer more career training like EMT programs?

Florida State College at Jacksonville and Duval County Public Schools have launched an EMT training program housed inside Raines High School. It is the first EMT program housed inside a Duval County public high school, and a grant funds it.

Why it matters

The program is intended to address a shortage of health care workers by giving students a route into emergency medical services. Because students train on campus rather than being transported off site, participation is designed to be accessible.

The program targets nearly a dozen students for certification by graduation and is funded by a grant that covers costs for students and parents. The source does not state the grant amount, its duration, or the eventual completion rate.

The players

Florida State College at Jacksonville

A public college in Jacksonville, Florida, offering workforce and health care training programs to local residents.

Duval County Public Schools

The public school district serving Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida, operating dozens of high schools across the area.

The details

Florida State College at Jacksonville and Duval County Public Schools formed the partnership, with students training as EMTs inside Raines High School rather than traveling off campus. Raines High School Principal Vincent Hall, who died before the announcement, welcomed FSCJ to the school, informed families, and encouraged student participation.

• November 12, 2026: FSCJ and Raines announce the EMT partnership.

Season Trajectory

Dual-enrollment partnerships between Florida state colleges and public school districts have expanded career-technical pathways for high school students. The Raines EMT program extends that model into a certification track in health care, a field where workforce shortages are a documented concern.

Eligible Raines High School students can enroll in the EMT training at no cost to themselves or their parents, which may make a health care career path accessible to them. Families in Jacksonville weighing career training options now have a no-tuition certification route through a public high school.

The takeaway

Students interested in health care careers should ask their school counselors whether programs like the Raines EMT certification are available to them. Early exposure through a no-cost certification path can clarify whether emergency medical services is the right direction.