The Hopkinsville Fire Department is seeing its accreditation pay off through an educational program for the next generation of EMTs and paramedics.
Fire Chief Steve Futrell says Hopkinsville Fire and EMS is one of 14 agencies in the state that is allowed and accredited to do paramedic education because of a shortage of medical workers.
click to download audioDeputy Chief of EMS Operations Phillip Ferguson says the state loses about 120 paramedics a year to retirement, moving out of state, or leaving the profession.
He hopes that a statewide hybrid paramedic program that provides education to students instead of expecting them to come to them will create more paramedics for Christian County and the region.
click to download audioFerguson says the program caters to a wide variety of people looking to become a paramedic.
click to download audioFerguson says those agencies are going to help them do the skills components, allowing the students to practice their skills, and transmit the lectures to their location.
click to download audioHe says over 114 students have applied for the program and that they have had about 160 attend an information session to learn more.
Ferguson says paramedics do more than ride in an ambulance.
click to download audioFerguson says this program will produce more than double the number of paramedics from last year, which could assist counties in western Kentucky that don’t have an ambulance service.
He says anyone wanting to become a paramedic and learn more about the class can go to hoptown.org/academy.
