Butler County Community College

County commissioners agreed Wednesday, May 21, to take county-funded emergency medical training to the next level.

Commissioners voted to begin developing a paramedic training program for up to 12 students at Butler County Community College, where the county already has an emergency medical technician training program dubbed the EMS Academy.

“It’s great that we have now gone from EMT to paramedic,” said Leslie Osche, commissioners chairman.

The commissioners agreed to allocate up to $90,000 for the paramedic program from the same American Rescue Plan Act funds that are being used to fund the EMS Academy.

A paramedic training program is the next logical step after the EMS Academy, said Steve Bicehouse, emergency services director.

“The EMS academy has been a very successful program. We’ve got over 20 EMTs that are now in the workforce helping ambulance services throughout the county,” Bicehouse said. “The next step, logical step, is to go with this paramedic program.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, paramedics perform similar duties to EMTs but can also administer a wider range of medication, including injectable or intravenous medicines.

The EMS Academy began last spring. Bicehouse said interviews are being conducted for the next class.

Paramedic students will have classes two days a week and some Saturdays to complete the 700 hours of training, and will have to commit to work in the county after graduation for a length of time that hasn’t been finalized, he said.

Osche said students also will have to deposit money that will be returned when they graduate as an incentive to complete the program.

She said details about the work requirement, which also is required for EMT students, and the deposit will be spelled out in the contract that will be negotiated with Impulse Training Academy, which is providing the training.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel said the deposit is needed to ensure a return on the $7,000 to $8,000 the county will invest to train each paramedic student.

“We need a return on that investment obviously,” Boozel said.

In addition, the commissioners approved a federal grant application for $100,000, which requires a $25% match from the county, to develop a new hazard mitigation plan to replace the existing plan that expires next year.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approval of the plan is required. The plan makes the county eligible for disaster assistance funding and is part of the county’s emergency operations plan.