Columbia Fire Department gets green light to begin in-house EMT training course

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department will offer a new resource to help combat ongoing recruitment and retention challenges and ensure better service to the public.

CFD received accredited status within the last month to become a certified EMT basic training entity. It intends to offer its first course in February.

Assistant Chief Jeff Heidenreich said the department has noticed an increasing number of new members who don't have a basic EMT license or certification, which is a job requirement to become a uniformed member of CFD.

Now, an intensive, six-week EMT training course will be offered directly through CFD at its Training Academy in which firefighters will be able to earn all the necessary qualifications. The class will cover topics ranging from laws and ethics to administering different kinds of first aid to trauma patients.

"In six weeks, you go from not having it to being completely trained, certified and hopefully licensed as an EMT basic for the state of Missouri," Heidenreich said.

He said there are currently 11 CFD members that don't have a basic EMT license. The department places those members on trucks with two other employees that do have EMT or paramedic licenses, which Heidenreich said ensures each truck is still able to perform all of the necessary duties.

By offering the new EMT course immediately to employees, he said it will eliminate any gaps being created by unlicensed employees.

"We think that's the most important reason, so that we can provide (EMT training) immediately to those members that need it before they go out to the trucks," Heidenreich said. "So it doesn't interrupt our services once they're on the trucks providing services to our customers."

Previously, the fire department would send those without licenses to other nearby EMT programs to get certified and have to work around those programs' schedules, which sometimes could take months. Heidenreich said this could cause scheduling issues and staffing challenges.

Now, the 6-week EMT training courses will begin immediately following a recruitment class graduation. Each course will be Monday through Friday from 8-5 each day.

Heidenreich said the first training course will begin after the current recruitment class graduates. Recruits will graduate Feb. 16, and the first day of the first EMT training course will begin on Feb. 19.

The coordinator of the EMT course, David Peters, said the course will be half textbook information and half hands-on skills. He said firefighters will learn to deal with patients in all sorts of situations, whether it be shortness of breath, drug overdose or car wreck.

"We teach these things because the fire truck might be the first one to arrive at someone's house," Peters said. "When it's minutes that cost lives, starting CPR--for example--before the ambulance gets there is critical to serve, and the fire department is here to serve."

The course will also include clinicals, where Heidenreich said the department hopes to work with local hospitals to get members experience not only as an EMT on a fire engine, but also in ambulances and in emergency rooms.

"When you're only exposed to maybe one part of that, your experiences can sometimes be limited," Heidenreich said. "So, by allowing them to have all those opportunities and rotating through those opportunities, we think they'll be better prepared."

The accreditation to begin this course also allows for CFD to offer continuing education for those that are licensed. Heidenreich said members need to be relicensed every five years, and CFD will now be able to offer continuing education for that and for members to maintain a paramedic license.

Heidenreich said offering this EMT training course will save the department money in the long run.

He said there will be no direct cost for CFD members to take this course. Employees will continue to be paid as an employee while going through the course, compared to how the department would previously have to pay them as an employee and pay additional thousands of dollars for them to attend an outside program.

Not only is this opportunity available to CFD members, but the department hopes to offer classes to people in the community, as well. Heidenreich said the initial course will only focus on CFD members with a class size of about 15, but they will later open it up to the public if there are open slots.

He hopes by offering courses to the community, more people will be exposed to CFD and it could lead to potential recruiting opportunities. He said there will be a cost for any community participants to cover the costs of providing the training, which he estimates will be around $2,000.