The College of Central Florida will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony next month to debut a remodeled emergency medical services building that features high-tech simulation labs and realistic training environments for future first responders.
The college will celebrate a major milestone for its health sciences division with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly remodeled Building 19 on Thursday, April 2, at 10:30 a.m. The ribbon-cutting will take place at the College of Central Florida (CF) Ocala Campus, located at 3001 SW College Road.
The $7 million renovation serves as the new home for the college’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program.
The project was designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application by providing students with expanded cardiac and medical simulation spaces.
The upgraded facility features highly realistic settings, including a simulated apartment, a fully equipped ambulance, and a mock emergency room. Students will train using high-fidelity patient simulators along with virtual and augmented reality technology.
The upgrades enable EMTs and paramedics to practice life-saving interventions before entering the field.
CF’s EMS program is currently the only nationally accredited program in the Marion, Citrus, and Levy County area. The program offers a one-semester Emergency Medical Technician certificate, a three-semester Paramedic certificate, and a two-year Associate in Science degree in EMS.
Following the official ceremony, attendees will be invited to tour the new simulation labs and classrooms to see the advanced training equipment in action.
The ribbon-cutting for CF comes just over a year after the school opened its new nursing center, which features six classrooms, three skills labs, six simulation rooms, and a testing lab.