Upstate Medical University: Training National Guard To Be Certified As Emergency Medical Technician

Syracuse NY

04 February, 2022

4:53 AM

Description

Press release from Upstate Medical University: February 2, 2022 Upstate Medical University is training more than 30 members of the National Guard with the skills needed to be a certified emergency medical technician. They join more than 400 other guard members across the state going through similar training. It's all an attempt by the state, in partnership with the guard and medical centers like Upstate, to increase the number of certified EMTs who can—if needed—be deployed at health care facilities across the state. It's an especially timely move as staff shortages affect nursing homes and hospitals. And in a move to get these individuals certified quickly, Upstate has condensed its usual six-month program to four weeks. "We're still delivering the same content we would for our other course, it's just in a much-condensed timeframe," said Douglas Sandbrook, director of Upstate's paramedic program. Learning how to deal with hemorrhages, bleeding control, trauma care and splinting are all on the syllabus and currently taking place at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse. Richard Goldenberg, a spokesperson for the New York National Guard, said the newly minuted EMTs won't just be needed for this pandemic. "Whether it's a superstorm Sandy or whether it's another severe storm that needs augmentation in first responder capabilities, the EMT training is one of those core elements that can be used across a wide range of needs," Goldenberg said. New York Gov. Hochul announced the EMT training partnership between the state Health Department and the New York National Guard late last year. "Whether it's been through our research efforts or Covid testing support and now medical training for this specialized partnership, Upstate has been an integral part of the state's response to this pandemic, locally, statewide and nationally," said Upstate President Mantosh Dewan, MD. This press release was produced by Upstate Medical University. The views expressed here are the author's own.