News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County EMS is accepting applications for their in-house EMT class through July 5.
Training Major Billy Price said the class allows students to get the entry-level licensure needed to staff an ambulance in Tennessee. Price said applicants will be interviewed for the class on July 19 and the class will begin in the fall.
“So we get you started, your EMT B class takes about three and a half months to get through,” Price said. “You’ll take a national registry test at the end of it. If you pass your national registry test, then you obtain a Tennessee state license and you can go and work for an ambulance service.”
Price said the class has helped reduce the frequent vacancies that the department had been struggling to fill. He said it also helps out the surrounding cities and counties by providing EMS workers for them as well.
“That was one of the things that the state, whenever they released this for us to be able to teach in-house programs, it’s not only to benefit us as a service, but we’re hoping to help the whole Upper Cumberland whenever we do that,” Price said. “We get people from other counties that come in that has no – no need to want to work for us, but they want to go back and work at their home county, so we try to work with them as well.”
The class started in 2022. Price said the course can only take on twenty students at a time. He said they teach a basic EMT course in the fall and an advanced EMT course in the spring.
“We can teach up to four a year, it’s just it works better for us to rotate them between the basic and advanced, that way if you get through the advanced part, you’re wanting to go on to – er, the basic part, and you want to go onto advanced, then we can get you through that part, and then you can, you know, continue your education, hopefully get into the next paramedic program,” Price said.
Price said students can pay for the class out of pocket or have a contract where the county pays for the class and the student agrees to work for the county for a certain period.
“If they want a contract with the county, then there’s also an agility test because all of our employees have to pass an agility test,” Price said.
Price said those interested in applying can email him or visit the Putnam County EMA office for an application form.
