Project Grant H79TI086727

AMBOY AMBULANCE AND FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT EMS TRAINING PROGRAM - THE AMBOY, ILLINOIS RURAL EMS TRAINING PROGRAM WILL RECRUIT FIVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS (EMTS) AND TRAIN SEVEN NEW EMS PERSONNEL, TWO PARAMEDICS, AND FIVE EMTS TO ILLINOIS AND NATIONAL CERTIFICATION LEVELS. THE CERTIFIED PERSONNEL WILL CLOSE THE AMBOY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT'S SERVICE GAP OF TOO FEW EMT PERSONNEL RESPONDING TO AMBULANCE ALARMS AND TOO FEW PARAMEDIC PERSONNEL RESPONDING TO MAINTAIN ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LICENSING FOR ILLINOIS AMBULANCE RUNS. THE AMBOY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT (AFPD) PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) FOR 200 SQUARE MILES OF THE 729 SQUARE MILES THAT MAKE-UP LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. THE POPULATION SERVED IS 4,999 WITH AN INCREASE OF 30,000 TO 40,000 DURING THE SUMMER WHEN URBAN VISITORS ENJOY THE OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS, AVERAGING ABOUT 500 EMS ALARMS PER YEAR. LEE COUNTY'S POPULATION'S AVERAGE AGE IS OLDER THAN THE STATE OR NATIONAL AVERAGE POPULATE AGE. MORE THAN 70% OF RESPONDENTS TO THE 2022 COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT SAID THEY OR SOMEONE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD HAD A MENTAL ILLNESS. SIXTY PERCENT STATE THAT THEY OR SOMEONE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD HAD EXPERIENCED ANXIETY IN THE PAST YEAR, AND 55% ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVELY FOR DEPRESSION. TWENETY-ONE PERCENT LISTED BEING AFFECTED BY POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. NINETEEN PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD THOUGH ABOUT OR ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. IN THIS EMS TRAINING GRANT PROJECT, THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO GAIN THE EMT CAPACITY TO MEET THE 24/7 NEEDS FOR EMT RESPONSE TO EVERY ALARM AND, ESPECIALLY SO DURING FREQUENT COMMUNITY-WIDE, MULTIPLE ALARM EMERGENCY EVENTS. ALSO, AS REQUIRED OF THE GRANT AND OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO AMBOY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT'S (AFPD) SERVICE CAPACITY, ARE THE OBJECTIVES TO EQUIP TRAINEE PERSONNEL WITH PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, TO TRAIN ALL PERSONNEL IN THE USE OF NALOXONE, AND PATIENT CARE FOR OPIOID OVERDOSES, TO UTILIZE SAMHSA TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER VIRTUAL TRAININGS MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS AND CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH SUCH DISORDERS, INCLUDING BUPRENORPHINE TRAINING. FURTHER, TO ASSIST THE ONGOING EMS TRAINING FOR ALL AFPD EMS PERSONNEL, AFPD PROPOSES ADDING 12 LAPTOP COMPUTERS TO IT EXISTING GOOGLE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM SOFTWARE, AND EMERGENCY REPORTING EMS TRAINING SUITE, WHICH INCLUDES VIRTUAL NALOXONE TRAINING, AND ATS DISTANCE LEARNING'S INTERACTIVE ONLINE EMS CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAINING. AFPD WILL OFFER MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, RECRUITMENT, AND DE-ESCALATION TRAINING AND CPR MANIKINS, POWER COT, AND A STAIR CHAIR TO ITS SUITE OF MODULES AND EQUIPMENT FOR ONGOING, IN-HOUSE, HANDS-ON, SKILLS-BUILDING TRAINING. WITHIN THE GRANT PROJECT YEAR, THE FIVE EMT TRAINEES WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE CLASSROOM, CLINICAL, AND TESTING TO ACHIEVE ILLINOIS AND NATIONAL EMT. AFPD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR TRAINING WITHOUT GRANT FUNDS. A FULLY STAFFED EMS AGENCY WILL BE AT THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY ALS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES.