Missouri City Fire and Rescue Services is looking for new recruits, and a top-rated paramedic training program holds classes right in town.

The city posted a recruitment call on its official Facebook page, seeking individuals for public service careers with the fire department. For residents interested in answering that call, Houston Community College's Emergency Medical Services program offers year-round classes at its Missouri City campus.

The program carries weight. HCC's EMS program ranked No. 1 among Texas EMS education programs and posted a 99% National Registry exam pass rate, according to an announcement the college published Aug. 6. Classes also run at HCC locations in Northeast Houston and Spring Branch.

"As we see more people move to the area, and especially as we see the population get older, we're having a more need for more ambulances out there and even more hospitals," Blake King, HCC's EMS clinical coordinator, said during an Aug. 3 appearance on the TV segment "Up 2 the Minute."

The program uses a stackable credential pathway. Students start with an EMT Basic certificate, which takes one semester and requires no college prerequisites. They can advance to Advanced EMT and then paramedic certification, with each level qualifying them for employment along the way. Graduates go on to work for fire departments, municipal and county EMS agencies, hospital-based emergency services and healthcare facilities. Some use the certification as a springboard into nursing, critical care or medical school.

In a December ceremony, 65 paramedic and EMS students from HCC's Missouri City, Northeast Houston and Spring Branch campuses earned certifications, according to a post from HCC Northeast's Facebook page.

HCC also offers an associate degree for students seeking additional credentials for healthcare advancement.

The ranking body and methodology behind the No. 1 designation were not specified in HCC's announcement. Current class schedules and enrollment information are available at hccs.edu.