Five members of the Gordon County Fire-Rescue Departmentrecently completed the National Registry Paramedic curriculum on a “fast-track.” Most Paramedic programs take up to a year to complete, but these five firefighters completed the program in only nine months.
Members of the Murray County Fire Department, as well as EMT-I’s from other agencies, attended classes at the Murray County Fire Department Training Facility in Chatsworth. Each individual completed the required classroom hours, as well as the required clinical hours at area hospitals and ambulance services. Members of the class each completed 480 hours of classroom lecture hours, 254 hours of lab skills, and 388 hours of clinical hours in area hospitals and EMS services. “All five of these men made the decision to pursue this certification on their own time and money and we are ecstatic about their dedication and determination. Most of these guys were all but estranged from their families for these nine months. We know their wives and kids are glad to have them back, and Chief Hawkins and I couldn’t be more proud of each of them,” said Assistant Chief Byron Sutton.
Although the Gordon County Fire-Rescue Department only operates Basic Life Support engine companies, having firefighters trained to the next EMT level gives us the ability to assist Gordon EMS with advanced life support skills as necessary, once the ambulance arrives on scene. One more Paramedic on the scene is always an added benefit. Each of these guys have each passed their Georgia State Board testing and are all now Nationally Registered, and Georgia State Certified Paramedics. Pictured are Firefighter/EMT-P’s Andrew Cornwell, Marshall Green, Josh Robinson, Jonathan Pressley, and Daniel Smith.
