With Certification, Warsaw Firefighters Could Begin Advanced EMT Training Here
August 5, 2020 at 1:42 a.m.
By David [email protected]
On Tuesday, the WWFT board unanimously approved the submission of an application to the Emergency Medical Service Training Institute (EMSTI) to get certified as a training institute.
Chris Fancil, EMS coordinator for WWFT, told the Fire Territory board Tuesday, “We felt like, given that we have the personnel that are already instructor-certified through the state, we want to take – we’re already an Advanced Life Support Service but we’ve only got currently six advanced EMTs. We can do our own class and save” the expenses of sending men to classes.
He said they recently sent firefighter Joel Updike to Kokomo. It cost the fire territory overtime, travel time, cost for the class and other expenses.
“We’ve got three prime-rate instructors that can teach our own classes. We can do it on shift so there’s no overtime. We can do it right in-house,” Fancil said.
He said they applied to EMSTI and have a “rough approval” to get the certification as a training institute.
“So we’re going to do our own advanced EMT classes on station, just like when they did EMT classes a long time ago. We’re going to do the same thing, so the guys don’t have to miss any family time or anything like that,” Fancil said.
Those in the class will be taking it while they’re on duty and already getting paid. He said there will be minimal expense like books.
Mayor Joe Thallemer asked him what the goal was.
“The goal would be to just do our own classes for our personnel from this point forward so we’re not paying outside agencies” for advanced EMT, Fancil said.
Once the Institute issues the certification, Fancil said, “We can teach our own first responder classes, EMT classes or advanced EMT classes. The only thing we couldn’t do – if we ever wanted to, in years to come – would be to teach our own paramedic class. You have to be affiliated with a college and that creates a whole mess.”
Fire Chief Mike Wilson said the certification not only opens it up for what the fire territory can do internally for its own personnel, but also for other agencies within the county and civilians inside the city of Warsaw and Wayne Township.
“If we wanted to host a first responders class for a factory, we would be able to do that as our own training institute, and it could be something we’d be giving back to our community,” Wilson said.
Fancil said the “big” thing would be that the fire territory would be cutting back on its expenses to send guys to training elsewhere.
Thallemer asked if it was just an application to the EMSTI and they haven’t been approved yet. Fancil said they have a tentative acceptance of it, and someone from the institute will come Aug. 12 for a quick inspection of station 2 to make sure it works for the needs of a training institute, but the state representative already said it would be fine.
On Tuesday, the WWFT board unanimously approved the submission of an application to the Emergency Medical Service Training Institute (EMSTI) to get certified as a training institute.
Chris Fancil, EMS coordinator for WWFT, told the Fire Territory board Tuesday, “We felt like, given that we have the personnel that are already instructor-certified through the state, we want to take – we’re already an Advanced Life Support Service but we’ve only got currently six advanced EMTs. We can do our own class and save” the expenses of sending men to classes.
He said they recently sent firefighter Joel Updike to Kokomo. It cost the fire territory overtime, travel time, cost for the class and other expenses.
“We’ve got three prime-rate instructors that can teach our own classes. We can do it on shift so there’s no overtime. We can do it right in-house,” Fancil said.
He said they applied to EMSTI and have a “rough approval” to get the certification as a training institute.
“So we’re going to do our own advanced EMT classes on station, just like when they did EMT classes a long time ago. We’re going to do the same thing, so the guys don’t have to miss any family time or anything like that,” Fancil said.
Those in the class will be taking it while they’re on duty and already getting paid. He said there will be minimal expense like books.
Mayor Joe Thallemer asked him what the goal was.
“The goal would be to just do our own classes for our personnel from this point forward so we’re not paying outside agencies” for advanced EMT, Fancil said.
Once the Institute issues the certification, Fancil said, “We can teach our own first responder classes, EMT classes or advanced EMT classes. The only thing we couldn’t do – if we ever wanted to, in years to come – would be to teach our own paramedic class. You have to be affiliated with a college and that creates a whole mess.”
Fire Chief Mike Wilson said the certification not only opens it up for what the fire territory can do internally for its own personnel, but also for other agencies within the county and civilians inside the city of Warsaw and Wayne Township.
“If we wanted to host a first responders class for a factory, we would be able to do that as our own training institute, and it could be something we’d be giving back to our community,” Wilson said.
Fancil said the “big” thing would be that the fire territory would be cutting back on its expenses to send guys to training elsewhere.
Thallemer asked if it was just an application to the EMSTI and they haven’t been approved yet. Fancil said they have a tentative acceptance of it, and someone from the institute will come Aug. 12 for a quick inspection of station 2 to make sure it works for the needs of a training institute, but the state representative already said it would be fine.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092