Jasper County Emergency Management Agency secured $8,000 from the board of supervisors on Oct. 8 to go towards EMT training for individuals selected by the region’s volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services. The funds are expected to be reimbursed to departments covering the training costs.
Jamey Robinson, director of Jasper County EMA, said the EMT class through DMACC would get volunteers trained to help departments all across the county. The training costs about $1,900 per person. Robinson hoped to find funds not only from the county but through grants to assist the smaller agencies.
“We can probably reallocate some funds for another project that we’re going to do, too,” Robinson said. “With that we would be reimbursed upon completion and certification. We’re not just going to give money to individuals that don’t actually complete or participate in EMS here in Jasper County.”
Volunteers could start the class as early as November and be finished by March 2025. Robinson said Jasper County EMA already has a registration link that is being used to recruit individuals interested in the class. Several departments have also reached out saying they have one or two people who want to sign up.
“For these smaller departments, that is a lot of money to come up with right now,” Robinson said. “Especially when you’re talking one or two people. It would be on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, they would have to be certified. We’re not just going to give it to them and let them take it without completion.”
Supervisor Brandon Talsma was receptive to the idea. He liked that the training would help with the establishment of a countywide EMS coalition and maybe even convince the smaller towns that Jasper County is not trying to take over the territory of their volunteer agencies.
“It’s a struggle sometimes from the county’s perspective to do something that can easily be sold as this is really helping everybody countywide,” Talsma said. “I think this is one of those things that would honestly be very easy to argue that it is helping countywide … I don’t have a problem with helping out.”
Supervisor Denny Stevenson, who volunteers for the Kellogg Fire Department, asked Robinson if the individuals participating also have to front the money to get into the class. Technically, yes, they do, Robinson said. Stevenson said having the money up front is the biggest problem volunteers face.
In total, Robinson wants to have $16,000 to go towards the EMT training, and he was sure he could make up the other $8,000 after the board’s contribution.
Robinson said, “Again, grant money or reallocation of some of EMA’s funds. We had a project that isn’t going to go through because the other party didn’t want to participate, and I don’t want to put money toward something that they don’t want to participate in as well when it’s really their responsibility.”
When individuals complete the EMT class and receive their official certifications, Robinson said Jasper County EMA will reimburse them.
“If we get ten individuals countywide and we take our $16,000 divided by ten people, and that’s the money they would get back towards that,” Robinson said. “So it might not be a full reimbursement. But, again, we can have those discussions with the EMS side of things.”
Stevenson noted he absolutely supports the idea but he wanted to voice his concerns. Costs are a major barrier for small town volunteers. Robinson said the departments are usually pretty good about picking people they know will succeed in these types of trainings.
“It takes time and a lot of energy to be an EMT,” Robinson said. “Yes, it’s only a few months of schooling, but for that few months of schooling you’re doing book work, you have to take tests, you have to pass tests, you have to go out and do clinical and ride time and ER time, you have to get patient contacts.”
It is a large commitment for what is essentially a volunteer position. Robinson said he will work with students and departments to make sure they use all of their opportunities to get the certifications. He hopes the departments cover the costs for the volunteers knowing they will complete the training and be reimbursed.
Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said if it were him he would not pay for EMT training if his department did not help him out as a volunteer. To him, this is the “easiest, no-brainer investment” he has ever seen. Halferty said supervisors should use ARPA funds if there are still ARPA funds available.
“Volunteerism is dying and we’ve got to do something sooner rather than later,” Halferty said. “I’m preaching to the choir, I think. These volunteers do a tremendous amount of time after the class training, showing up, (maintaining) equipment, doing monthly audits and inspections, going through state audits.”
Again, Halferty stressed it is a good investment for supervisors. The board of supervisors followed suit and voted 3-0 to provide up to $8,000 for the training.
