By Shelby Powell
News-Topic
CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — The Caldwell County Board of Commissioners met on Monday, to discuss and approve a budget amendment regarding the in-progress Cajah’s Mountain Emergency Medical Services base and training facility. Caldwell EMS Director Trevor Key, in an interview with the News-Topic, discussed some of the functions and capabilities this new training module will have.
During the Monday meeting, the board discussed the purchase of a training module to remain in the new building, and an ambulance box fitted and furnished with the gear necessary for emergency medical technicians to train for work in the field. The box was originally quoted as costing roughly $88,000, though Key clarified at the meeting that not all of that money would be required for the final product.
“Caldwell County EMS has never had a training facility,” Key said, pointing out that the new base and training facility has been a years-long project in the making, approved shortly after he took the position as interim director of the department. “The module is the focus point of having this ability. The training aspect of this is for our current employees … the piece of that puzzle was to have somewhere we could go to simulate emergencies that EMS and paramedics are educated and tested on throughout the year.”
The training module, as a part of the facility, will help to ensure that Caldwell EMTs train on a deep and broad range of skills and tool sets and to have the best quality training possible.
“The way the building was laid out, there was a simulated emergency department or theme room,” Key said. “There will be cameras and audio-visual aids so that they’re being watched, but not with someone over their shoulder. They show up, treat patients, simulate going to the hospital and everything they’re going to be doing on the way.”
Council members at the Monday meeting noted that the facility would be a draw to neighboring counties looking to train their EMTs, and Key said that the module could be used in the relationship that exists between the county and Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute for some of its medical sciences training. However, Key noted that another important facet of the module came down to the recruitment and retention of EMS personnel.
“Everybody wants more hands-on training and the ability to provide the best that they can get. We have a lot of in-house instructors who are very knowledgeable on many different facets. The ability to come in and provide that in-house ensures that employees have the experience to react and respond to the best of their abilities,” Key said.
The facility can help to provide opportunities for much-needed practice that will help prospective hires through high school and college learn whether the demanding work is for them, Key said, and that will, in the long run, help to improve recruitment by creating a pool to hire from who are already familiar and interested in the work. Key said he would like to see, long-term, high school programs that will help to give students more of this hands-on experience.
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