EMT training to be offered

So you have always wanted to be an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Now is your chance.

An EMT recruitment call was put out by the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department. Those interested should call 633-2200, or contact a current firefighter or EMT. The class will begin early in April.

The local area needs EMTs to staff the ambulance, which makes about 400 calls per year.

Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Paris said the department answered 402 ambulance calls in 2016 and already this year there have been 104 EMT calls.

Paris said there are 24 certified EMTs in the area, not all of them active.

The EMT class will offer some 200 hours of training. This includes online lectures; 120 hours of studying and testing, which includes seven all-day sessions of practical skills, hands-on activity; and scenarios with instructors and practice patients.

The entire training period is spread out over three months and the course is authorized by the Washington State Department of Health’s EMS and Trauma Section.

Applicants, Paris said, should be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, and be self-motivated. They should be able to lift 50-100 pounds. A driver’s license is desirable but not required. A computer and internet access is required for the course, and Paris said everything else will be provided.

Costs for the course is about $500 per student. The fee is paid either by their respective agency or the students themselves. A local person makes a donation to help cover the expense for any who are financially restricted.

The last EMT training session was held two years ago.