Education is available for a new generation of EMTs, now just the students are needed.
Registration is open for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course, set to be held between September 2021 and February 2022 at the Smethport Volunteer Fire Department.
The course will meet from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a few meetings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The first day will be Sept. 14, and the course will end Feb. 24, 2022.
“EMS in the area is stretched thin, there’s no doubt about it,” said Aaron Atkins, Coordinator for the Smethport EMT Course. He explained that low staffing means that EMTs are in high demand throughout the area.
“It’s a lot of work, and a lot of people don’t have time for it anymore,” Atkins said. “Volunteerism is dying, and dying very rapidly, to a point where I have already had some elected officials stating if we can’t come up with something soon, they are going to have to step in, start making resolutions to pay people to do this. That is going to be an increase on taxpayer dollars.”
Atkins noted that municipalities are required to provide coverage, either through volunteer services or paid services.
“Someone has to pay for it. At the end of the day, the law states municipalities have to provide emergency services to residents; volunteer service or paid service, it does not matter,” Atkins said.
He noted that, while the current system is strained, it is still operating efficiently thanks to those involved.
“We have some very good EMS providers, in addition we have good leadership in the county,” he said. “They all as a whole have done very well at accommodating the needs and balancing what we can to make the job as easy for us as they possibly can.”
Still, new EMTs would be helpful, and this course is scheduled to provide a chance for those interested to take the first step.
The course will cost $850 and will provide access to a textbook, an online platform and two Fisdap comprehensive exams. The form to register is available through the McKean County Department of Emergency Management’s Facebook page.
“I understand the cost is high to do such a program and get the training. In that situation, our program through Penn State, under the last check of area colleges that run the program, we are the lowest cost at $850,” Atkins said. He stated that two other programs in the area cost $950 and $1350. The reason for these fees are two-fold.
“If you look at the cost of the books, just the books and materials alone are $295. That doesn’t cover the cost of instructors. For the Smethport course, I have 312 instructor hours to account for between instructors,” Atkins said, noting that means instructor costs are over $6,200 for this program alone.
He explained that a previous grant available through the state had made the course available at a lower cost to the attendees, but that money has run out. This means a higher cost to the course participants.
Atkins said this class is set for September and is being held in Smethport because a lot of individuals from that area have expressed interest. For those who live in the Bradford area and would like to complete the course, he said the possibility of a second classroom in Lewis Run and an additional course in Bradford are both being considered. The classroom in Lewis Run (if made available) would provide area residents the ability to complete the course in Smethport via Zoom.
Atkins is also open to feedback from individuals in the area who would like to take the course but can’t participate due to the current schedule.
“If another schedule would work, like Monday and Wednesday or just weekends, even during the day, let me know. If I had enough (interest) — at least 15 students — I could run a class during the day,” he said. “Without feedback, I can’t adjust. I have done classes as far as Ulysses, I have no problem traveling to accommodate people.”
Atkins requests that anyone who is interested reach out via email and let him know. He can be reached at aatkins16731@hotmail.com.
“There’s a lot of us that aren’t getting any younger,” Atkins said. “Someone has to be the next generation to step up and fill our shoes.”
