Nearly 80% of all HCFR calls are medical, raising the demand for qualified, trained personnel willing to serve as paramedics in the department — a problem with a solution in the making.
A team of paramedic students surround several training dummies on the floor. One student mans the whiteboard with a marker, jotting down notes and callouts as they are said. Another holds a packet, reading theoretical symptoms to the rest of the group.
The patient has cold limbs, blue lips and a low pulse. In another scenario, the patient isn’t breathing at all, but their heart is racing. Every second counts.
The primary student acting as the lead paramedic for each scenario asks for status updates and directs their team to begin opening airways, injecting medicine or performing other life-saving techniques.
This is only the hands-on portion of an 11-month course undergone by fire rescue staff interested in earning their paramedic certification; accompanied by further responsibilities and a pay bump.
“Depending on the station, they can have upwards of 10 to 12 calls a day where they're being used, and they're utilizing those cutting edge skills that they're having to learn,” Hall County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Kimberlie Ledsinger said. “And they work under a lot of pressure. And that's a lot of responsibility to take into their hands, so they're very much needed. We're a growing county, and with a growing county comes a lot of medical calls.”
While this year’s class kicked off in January and will run through November, the full amount of time spent by students in the course can vary. This year is the first time Hall County has hosted its own paramedic class.
In previous years, the bulk of training was done through Lanier Technical College. Now, students can complete their training and clinicals in-house, using a program known as Faithful Guardian.
However, fire rescue staff have the option of completing their training wherever works best for them. By the end of 2023, 46 new paramedics will be added to HCFR, with five coming from the Dawson Paramedic Program, 11 from Lanier Tech and 30 from the in-house course.
A big push for paramedic training was spurred on by what officials say is a national shortage of paramedics.
“The citizens wouldn't notice because we still staff the med units and fire trucks every single day,” Ledsinger said. “The specified amount of people are always on the truck … we're still delivering the same amount of care.”
Med units are traditionally staffed with one EMT (emergency medical technician) and one paramedic. While all firefighters working in the county are required to be certified EMTs, the paramedic certification is a higher level of medical specialization that is completed voluntarily, according to Ledsinger.
With 16 fire stations spread throughout Hall County, and a 17th on the way, the addition of new paramedics will reportedly help remedy the overtime being worked by current paramedic personnel in a major way. Given that HCFR is on the clock 24/7, Ledsinger said having more paramedics will balance shifts out.
“Our goal, every shift, is to not have any unscheduled overtime,” Ledsinger said. “Which means, normally, it's having to ask somebody to work on their off day, which we hate having to do.”
Another motivator for HCFR staff to certify as a paramedic comes with a pay bump to the tune of nearly $18,000 yearly. However, that figure is only reached once a staff member is certified and actively working as part of the med unit.
Once the students of this year’s paramedic course complete their training, they will be put on a med unit while being shadowed by someone already certified for approximately five shifts.
Paramedic Instructor Ken Ranalli compared paramedic training and education to building a house — saying if the foundation is strong and the walls are sturdy, it is easier for paramedics to metaphorically “change a light fixture,” as the field of medicine is always adjusting and advancing.
“You’re learning to learn,” one of the paramedic students said, expanding on the fact that new drugs, practices and methods for treating patients are always on the horizon.
An update was made on Oct. 8 at 10:13 a.m. to clarify the program curriculum used by Hall County.
