Jeffrey Alderton
Cumberland Times-News
— GRANTSVILLE — With 17 people already employed as emergency medical service professionals by Allegany and Garrett counties, more EMS job opportunities are expected in both counties in the future.
“Without an influx of volunteers to supplement the paid EMS systems in Allegany and Garrett counties, there will be no alternative but to continue hiring EMS professionals to pick up the lack of volunteerism,” said Dwayne Kitis, who serves as the Region 1 administrator of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems.
Ten EMS professionals are employed by Allegany County and seven by Garrett County. “These positions are a mixture of medics — emergency medical technicians intermediate and paramedics and emergency medical technicians basic. Most are full time and have county benefits including a retirement plan,” said Kitis.
An unknown number of EMS providers are employed by private ambulance companies in both counties. In addition, more than 55 people are employed in the Cumberland Fire Department as firefighters who are cross-trained as EMS providers, including 12 paramedics who operate the department’s 24-hour ambulance service.
On April 28 at 6:30 p.m., an informational session for anyone who has been certified as an EMT-B for at least a year and would like to advance to the next level of training will be held at the Frostburg Area Ambulance Service at 86 W. Main St., where classes are scheduled.
“The EMT-I course will be offered this fall through Garrett College,” said Kitis. “While you are not required to attend the session, you are strongly encouraged to do so. The session will provide greater detail about the program and will give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.”
Program coordinator Doug Beitzel and a number of advanced life support-certified instructors teach classes on Monday and Thursday evenings. Students complete clinic hour requirements and field time with designated EMS providers.
The EMT-B gives basic life support medical care that includes airway management, assessment of circulation and interventions such as CPR, tourniquets, splints and backboards for spinal immobilization. The EMT-B can assist with low-risk medications that patients already have and use.
The EMT-I can start certain advanced life supporting measures and can use advanced airway management. They use EKG monitors for heart rhythms and deliver electric defibrillating shocks manually to patients in cardiac arrest. They can also start intravenous lines for fluid replacement in a patient and are permitted to administer a limited number of drugs.
The EMT-P is the highest level of prehospital emergency medical care. They are qualified to do all of the functions of the EMT-B and the EMT-I in addition to further advanced airway management and administering many more medications.
Kitis said, “Our citizens need to realize that EMT-B training is virtually free of charge and to become an EMT-I or paramedic the tuition that our region’s citizen-volunteers pay is significantly less, about one-third, than what you would pay for the same training at a university somewhere else. The only requirement to gain access to this program as possible future career training is that he or she must be a member in good standing with a fire, rescue or EMS company in Allegany or Garrett counties.”
The need for EMS professionals will continue as emergency calls continue to increase throughout the area, Kitis said.
Information is also available by contacting Jean Tressler, coordinator of operations, Garrett College Continuing Education & Workforce Development, at 301-387-3085 or e-mail jean.tressler@garrettcollege.edu. The MIEMSS office may be contacted at 301-895-5934.
“So far, we have had 32 people express interest in our EMT-intermediate class that will begin this fall and right now we are finishing up our paramedic training with 12 students. That class started out two years ago with 25 students,” said Tressler. “Now the training seems to be viewed more as career training than volunteer training. Paid opportunity is becoming more available due to the downward trend in volunteerism, due in part for the need for two people in the family to work and less time available for volunteering.”
EMT-B classes will be conducted in the fall at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute off U.S. Route 220 in Cresaptown and at Garrett College.
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