Twenty-three new first responders complete medical training

When emergency situations occur, it is essential for trained medical personnel to arrive on scene as soon as possible to provide medical care, reduce the extent of injuries and provide for scene safety. A first responder is the first individual to arrive at the location of an incident and perform vital actions.
Recently, the Emanuel County Emergency Medical Services conducted a 50-hour U.S. Department of Transportation Emergency Medical Responders Class at Swainsboro Fire Headquarters. Students learned how to evaluate conditions of victims and determine serious conditions such as trauma, shock, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

CPR training is essential for first responders since they are the first people to arrive on the scene and may have to try to resuscitate victims who are no breathing and/or do not have a pulse. Additional skills learned by classroom instruction and hands-on training include how to control bleeding, dress wounds, stabilize fractures, administer oxygen, and provide basic care.
On Thursday evening, June 17, a graduation supper was held in the dining area at Emanuel Medical Center. Following the meal, EMS Director Courtney Terwilliger along with class instructor Paramedic Paul Lumley presented graduates with certificates, trauma jump kits and identifying safety vests.
The class was funded through a grant from The Georgia Trauma Commission. The trained responders who received this training represent residents of Emanuel County and Johnson County.