Opportunities in Emergency Care

• Earn state and national certifications.
• Emergency Medical Responder — articulated college credit available.
• Emergency Medical Technician — articulated college credit available.
• Nursing Assistant-Registered — articulated college credit available. 
• Tuition savings up to $3,400 or more if you take every course OEC offers.
• Skills and certifications that can lead to employment in clinics, hospitals, ambulances, nursing homes, home healthcare, fire departments, etc. 
• Competition opportunities in various EMS and other healthcare events. State EMS Champions, 2013-2018.
• Opportunities to participate as a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) HOSA International EMT Champions, 2016, 2017, 2019 and placed third and eighth in 2018. 
• Each student is held to a high personal and professional standard.
• Hands-on clinical experience through sports and community events, shadowing and ride-alongs.
• Overseas mission trips

In 1976, Spring Lake Park became the first high school in the nation to provide Emergency Medical Services training.  As a result of a Title III grant, the Opportunities in Emergency Health Care Program started training high school students to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s).  In spite of protests by doubters whom believed that high school students were not ready for EMT training, the OEC program was born.  By 1978, OEC had its first licensed Basic Life Support ambulance, taking emergency calls and scheduled transfers right out of the program office, adjacent to the classroom.

In those days, it was common to take students out of class to ride-along on the calls.  By 1982, a second ambulance was licensed and put to work on the street.  An incredibly successful pipeline from classroom to street was initiated.  Talk about a “School-to-Work” opportunity!  This tenet of 21st century education was happening over 20 years ago in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota.  In addition, OEC has drawn students from as many as ten different surrounding high schools as a magnet program since its inception.

Spring Lake Park is a suburb of Minneapolis, 12 miles north of downtown.  The high school is the crown jewel of the Spring Lake Park School District, which has led the way in innovative education for many years.

Since 1976, it has been estimated over 1500 students have been trained as EMT’s.  Hundreds of graduates have continued careers in the field of health care.  OEC is not just about quantity, its about quality!

Although the OEC courses are only offered at the Spring Lake Park High School, each year we draw students from more than ten other area schools including Blaine, Centennial, Fridley, Irondale, Mounds View, and home-school settings. Out-of-District students are drawn to our program by its reputation for practical medical training and opening doors for all manner of medical field careers.

We offer multiple education pathways for students with specific career goals. Students may enroll in first year courses as a sophomore, junior, or senior. 

Learn more about the courses available. 

Fill out the OEC Program Enrollment Registration Form.

The Annual State Emergency Care Competition continues to grow as the need for qualified emergency care providers expands.

Competition at the EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) level tests high school students on their training in hands-on scenarios that represent potential real life situations. Teams of four compete in three timed scenarios and a written exam.  Experienced professionals in the healthcare field judge the scenarios including: EMR’s, EMT’s, paramedics, firefighters, nurses, physicians and college students in health related programs.

Teams are scored on:

• Their ability to properly assess the scenario
• Giving appropriate patient care for injuries
• Manage issues found “at the scene”
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Written exam scores

Expectations may include identification of hazardous situations, reporting and documentation, and innovative equipment use. The event occurs each February and is open to the public.  Event location varies from year to year.

Competitors are invited from many high school EMS (Emergency Medical Services) training programs.  Past competitors include the OEC (Opportunities in Emergency Care) programs at Forest Lake, Osseo and Spring Lake Park high schools, Maple Grove Fire Explorers, Owatonna EMS Explorers, Spring Valley Ambulance, Century College-916, Apple Valley ISD 196, Morris Ambulance and the Anoka STEP program.