Politics & Government
21 Graduate From Putnam's First Accelerated EMT Class
The New York State EMT requirements usually take six months to fulfill, county officials said.
PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — New York State National Guard members graduated Friday from Putnam County’s first-ever Accelerated EMT Class.
The class, made up of 20 National Guard members and one civilian, studied intensely for six weeks, including Saturdays and evenings, to meet the demanding requirements of the New York State EMT Program that usually take six months to fulfill.
“It is never a small undertaking to produce a quality, NYS EMS course, even under normal circumstances, and we were definitely not under normal circumstances,” said Ann M. Daros, coordinator of EMS Education in the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services. “We were faced with the daunting task of making it happen in six weeks. In fact, that’s something it’s never been done before in the history of Putnam County.”
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While the course was taught by professionals from the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services, Ambulnz, the county’s new 911 services contractor, helped with the training, county officials said.
“Some of the staff at Ambulnz volunteered on their days off to help out during the accelerated EMT class in assisting me with lectures and practical skills,” Daros said in a statement about the course. “Some of the paramedics that have come to Putnam are not only excellent at what they do every day in providing care to our community, they are also well-educated and trained in pediatric ICU, patients with special needs and orthopedics.”
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At a graduation lunch at The Barn at Tilly Foster Farm, Daros noted that those who go through Putnam County’s EMT Training Program have a high passing rate in the state exam and that the program is successful in putting providers in ambulances either as volunteers or in a paid service.
The students came from as far away as Monroe County and Suffolk County.
“Your hard work and dedication set an example,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell. “Our county and the National Guard are better off for each of you having completed training that will help keep the public safe.”
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