EMT training coming with the new year

PLAINS – Community members interested in getting involved with emergency services will have a chance to learn how to be EMTs this January, as the Plains Community Ambulance holds their first EMT course.

The course will start on January 11, though there will be a premeeting with all the participants on January 4. The meeting will be an introduction to the course and discuss what all will be involved.

The course will go from early-mid January until the first or second week of April. The course and premeeting will be held in the Plains Ambulance Barn; the training sessions will be at 6 pm and are expected to go until about 10 pm with the premeeting going from 7 to 8 pm. 

According to Kevin Kerr, one of the EMTs behind the event, the course will be strictly EMT basic training; it will cover everything needed to qualify for EMT-B.

“It’s everything you need to pass state and national [requirements],” he said. 

Everyone in the community is welcome to participate, though the course is targeted mainly toward people interested in becoming EMTs or volunteering to help the firefighters or ambulance services. People with an interest in emergency services are especially encouraged to look into the course.

“This comprehensive course will give you the skills and training needed to help the sick and injured,” states the course’s promotional information. “You will walk away with confidence in your newly acquired skills and have the ability to work alongside other like-minded professionals.” 

The training is very valuable to the emergency services and the community as a whole  as Kerr noted there is usually a shortage of trained EMTs.

“There’s always a need for EMTs and firefighters,” he said.

This is the first year of the course, though they have high hopes it will become a recurring event. Kerr said one possibility they were looking into was to hold the courses twice a year, with a main course in January and another session, or a refresher course, in the fall.

It was also noted the courses are typically very expensive for the general public to participate in. Kerr noted the book for EMT training usually costs approximately $150.

For more information on the course, call 826-3670 or 529-9767.