The city of Bellevue welcomed back four members of its fire department Monday, but with an additional title.

Brian Snyder, Cliff Dobsa, Reese Cogdill and Brian Fialdini were recognized for completing a year’s worth of training, coursework, exams and hands-on field study in the EMS certification program through the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center and were welcomed back to their department as certified EMS responders.

Bellevue Fire Department Battalion Chief and the Commander of the EMS program Mark Moulton said the program is not only one of the finest in the Pacific Northwest, but the entire United States. Along with regular coursework that includes an intensive two-month course in human anatomy and physiology, students spend time responding to more than 500 calls of varying severity.

“It’s basically bringing the ER into the field,” Moulton said. “They can do anything out there, deliver babies, you name it.”

Moulton added that many EMS training agencies around the country come to Bellevue and even model their own programs after what they find in King County.