Randolph County EMS to offer free EMT training classes
Trending
The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
The Randolph County Emergency Squad will be offering free Emergency Medical Technician classes beginning in September. The RCES will also offer a pair of open house events on July 23 and Aug. 12.
ELKINS -- Thanks to Gov. Jim Justice's EMS Initiative Award, the Randolph County Emergency Squad will be able to recruit and offer free classes to 15 individuals interested in becoming an Emergency Medical Technicians.
"Because EMS is having such a hard time getting people interested in the field, Gov. Justice has helped us out with this retainment and recruitment-type program," Heather Brown, the Randolph County Emergency Squad's deputy director and training officer, told The Inter-Mountain Tuesday. "He took $10 million and put it into different things to help EMS, including being able to train people for free."
Through a grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the RCES was awarded an Emergency Management Award for $16,426, which Brown said will be used in a variety of ways as part of the training process.
"The money is going to pay for 15 students' classes, including their textbooks and fees," she said. "Some of that money is going toward an open house to get people in here and advertising. This is a huge recruitment tool and it's been needed for a long time. I'm very excited about it and I think it is going to be fantastic."
Classes are slated to take place in September and Brown said the Emergency Squad is setting up an EMT Academy that will feature two open houses, one on July 23 at 1 p.m. and the other on Aug. 12 at 5 p.m.
"We are inviting people in to kind of see what emergency medical services are about," Brown said. "Hopefully it will spark some interest and we can get some people to fill out an application."
Brown said that each application will be reviewed and 15 will be chosen to take part in the program.
"To even be in an ambulance, you have to be first certified as an emergency vehicle operator," Brown said. "That's the first step and a lot of people don't realize that and the fee for that certification will be paid for as well.
"I will be teaching all the classes they need, which contains several other requirements, to get them certified. Once they are cleared through our squad, they can go ahead and start working part time for us."
The classes are expected to be complete in December. Brown said there will be four or five EMT openings available at the RCEM in January 2023.
"We are going to offer several full-time positions with benefits, and some part-time jobs to those who complete the classes," Brown said. "To go through this process it usually costs someone $750. To be able to offer it for free is amazing."
Brown said all the classes and training will be conducted at the Randolph County Emergency Squad.
"Being able to train the students within our own squad is going to be a huge benefit," she said. "Because every squad runs differently, we all have a main purpose, but we all run differently. When people come in from other squads, sometimes it's hard to switch over. But this group is going to be from scratch and we are going to raise them up here. I think it is going to be amazing."
For more information, call 304-636-1213 or email Brown at rcemsheather@suddenlinkmail.com.