Central Huron Ambulance is looking to start offering different education classes to train first responders, EMTs, and paramedics.
The ambulance service’s education coordinator Laura Schenk said it currently uses Flint-based STAT EMS for training paramedics but could become its own initial education center for training emergency medical technicians and medical first responders.
The ambulance service received $30,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for offering classes from the county and a $3,500 grant from United Way for CPR dummies for training. Schenk said they would rather see the money from the commissioners go toward its own facility rather than end up paying Sanilac County for classes.
Schenk also teaches courses for Sanilac Medical Services in Sanilac County.
“Any time we have education like a first responder, EMT classes, that money they pay for the class goes to the person who’s putting on the class,” Schenk said. “It would allow us to be able to collect money from anybody outside the county that decided to take the class.”
Schenk is hoping for EMT classes to start back up in the fall and possibly a paramedic class in 2023, so any new EMT’s could continue their education. It would also work to help recruit and retain Central Huron’s employees.
Any classes that Central Huron would offer have to be approved through the State of Michigan.
The CPR training is also something Schenk wanted to offer for the last few years, but could not due to COVID. She is planned for every three months, where about 20 people from the communities Central Huron covers could come to its facility to learn.
“I feel like it’s great PR or even getting someone that says, ‘Hey, I would love to further this. What would I have to do?’” Schenk said.
The board conducted it’s monthly meeting with Vice-Chairman Kevin Richardson overseeing, following former Chairman Mike Smalley’s departure from the board in April after several accusations of improper behavior.
When Richardson asked for nominations for the chairman, none of the other board members in attendance showed interest.
The board had previously elected Smalley to a three-year term in March, with Richardson feeling electing people to officer positions should take place on a yearly basis. While the board’s by-laws state that the term length for board members, who are chosen by the townships they represent, last three years, the length of an officer’s term is not stated.
