Gary Fire officials James Morris, left, and Tia Thompson, center

Gary Fire Department wants EMT training in high schools

Contributed By:The 411 News

Gary Fire Chief Paul Bradley, Training Officer Tia Thompson, and EMS Director James Morris told the Gary Board of School Trustees curriculum committee “the Gary Fire Dept. can make a difference in the lives of the city’s youth.”

Starting with the board’s approval, the Gary school district will begin planning to offer high school seniors training as Emergency Medical Technicians. Gary schools Supt. Cheryl Pruit said the training could start as soon as the 2nd or third trimester.

“There will be no charge to the district,” Pruitt said, “and the courses will be taught by fire department professionals certified by the state.” She said the training will be aligned with the state department of education guidelines for instruction in public schools.

EMT training would be among the course offerings at the Gary Career Center. Students taking classes at the career center spend half of the school day at the career center and the remainder of the day at their home school.

“I was in an EMT program as a senior at Lew Wallace,” Chief Bradley said. His mother urged him to attend an evening course taught at Methodist Hospitals. “By the time I graduated from Lew Wallace, I had my certification and immediately went to work as an EMT. I know it can be done.”

The chief said 60% of the service calls taken by his department are for medical services, adding it’s about the same nationally. “Our main concern is ambulance service. Fire calls are down all over the country.”

He said East Chicago, Hammond, and Hobart have these programs for their high school students.

“I see this program as a plus for the citizens of Gary,” the chief said. “It can be a pipeline to help fulfill the ranks of our fire department. We don’t have volunteer programs like some communities. That’s how they bring their young men and women into fire service early, by volunteering. Then they become their firefighters.”

Board member Robert Campbell said to Bradley, “I want to commend you for your enthusiasm. You have a concern, a passion, and you are looking out for others.”

“If we can get this curriculum going,” Thompson said, “it will give young people something to look forward to. This may be a stepping stone for some people to go further into the medical field. I just finished my nursing classes. These kids can be doctors and anything they want to be. As long as they have strong people behind them, supporting them and giving them a chance, then they’ll do it.”

Morris said, “Once state certified as an EMT, they have the license to work anywhere in the U.S." He teaches EMT classes at The Methodist Hospitals.

The superintendent also asked the board to approve an expansion of course offerings for high school students enrolled in dual-credit classes at Indiana University Northwest. Dr. Earl Jones, professor in IU’s Minority Studies Department proposed 2 courses his department will make available to high school students next year.

An Introduction to African-American History course would cover early African civilizations up to contemporary African-American society in the U.S. The second course, Urban History looks at the spatial concentration of African-American communities overtime in the U.S. – from rural to urban areas.

Story Posted:09/22/2016