Over the past year, the 15 existing Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) firefighter-paramedics have completed more than 100 hours of paramedic training to update their emergency medical skills as CCFR transitions to providing advanced life support (ALS) care.
A group of these paramedics had the opportunity to receive hands-on cadaver training from emergency medical physicians at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. During the training the firefighter-paramedics sharpened their medical skills and practiced techniques that can save lives.
“Procedures like chest tube placement, surgically securing an airway, and placing a central line can be life-saving, but we do not see them in the field as often as other medical emergencies,” Chief Dan Aubuchon says. “Opportunities like this allow us to practice these skills and learn new techniques from emergency medical leaders in the community.”