Transaction Description:
NORTH COUNTRY NEW YORK EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATION PROJECT - THE NORTH COUNTRY NEW YORK EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATION PROJECT FOR ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY FOCUSES ON IMPROVING THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) THROUGH EDUCATION. OUR PROJECT GOALS ADDRESS DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING EMS INITIAL EDUCATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION TO MAINTAIN CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS. THE NORTH COUNTRY EMS EDUCATION PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ESSENTIAL EMS TRAINING THROUGH A HIGH SCHOOL-BASED EMT PROGRAM, A HYBRID EMT PROGRAM, AND A HYBRID CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM, TO ALLOW PROSPECTIVE AND CURRENT EMS PERSONNEL TO ACCESS EDUCATION IN A MORE CONVENIENT MANNER WITHOUT THE CURRENT LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL REQUIRED. THE PROGRAM WILL EQUIP OUR CLASSROOM WITH THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, ENGAGING, AND RELEVANT DISTANCE LEARNING MATERIAL TO EMS PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. IT WILL EQUIP US WITH THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO CONDUCT SIMULATION TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE REGION IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HANDS-ON SKILLS AND MAINTAIN REQUIRED REGIONAL SKILLS. OUR EDUCATION PROJECT WILL ALSO BRING MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TRAINING TO EMS PROVIDERS FOR NOT ONLY RESPONDING IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS BUT EDUCATION ON HOW TO PREVENT THEMSELVES FROM FALLING VICTIM. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARE A HIGH-RISK GROUP FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, AND CURRENTLY, NO EDUCATION IN NORTH COUNTY NY EXISTS TO ADDRESS THIS RISK. ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, NY POPULATION OF 17,788 THROUGH TOTAL SQUARE MILES OF 744.3 IN SOUTHERN ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. OUR POPULATION DENSITY IS 23.89 PER SQUARE MILE, WITH TOWNS THAT INCLUDE A POPULATION DENSITY IS AS LOW AS 5.9 PER SQUARE MILE. THERE ARE 21,701 RESIDENTS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE ACCORDING TO CENSUS.GOV. OUR POPULATION OF FOCUS IS PROSPECTIVE EMS PROVIDERS AND CURRENTLY CERTIFIED EMS RESPONDERS, INCLUDING EMTS, AEMTS, CRITICAL CARE TECHS, AND PARAMEDICS IN ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY. . OUR COUNTY, THE LARGEST IN NY STATE INCLUDES 21 EMS AGENCIES, WITH ONLY 7 HAVING ANY SORT OF PAID PROVIDER, 3 HAVING 24/7 PAID COVERAGE, ONLY 1 OF THESE AGENCIES IS 100% PAID. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 259 EMS PROVIDERS INCLUDING 204 EMTS, 13 AEMTS, 27 CRITICAL CARE TECHS, AND 25 PARAMEDICS. OUR LOCAL COUNTY EMS COORDINATOR, JOHNATHAN MITCHELL ESTIMATES THAT LESS THAN 40% OF THESE ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE AND RESPONDING TO CALLS. IN ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY 12.2% OF THE TIME, THE PRIMARY AMBULANCE SERVICE DOES NOT HAVE A CREW TO RESPOND TO A 9-1-1 CALL AND RELIES ON MUTUAL AIDE DUE TO A LACK OF CERTIFIED PROVIDERS, AS STATED IN THE 2021 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY ANNUAL EMS REPORT. SINCE 2019 THE DISPATCH TO OBSCENE TIME HAS INCREASED BY 5 MINUTES AND 13 SECONDS DUE TO LACK OF VOLUNTEERISM. LAST YEAR THE LONGEST RESPONSE TIME WAS 1 HOUR AND 47 MINUTES DUE TO LACK OF MANPOWER AND THE CALL OUTCOME WAS NEGATIVE, ENDING WITH PATIENT DEATH. BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO EMS EDUCATION, THE NORTH COUNTRY NEW YORK EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATION PROJECT SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF EMS PERSONNEL. THIS WILL HAVE AN IMPACT IN THE NUMBER OF NEW EMTS ENTERING THE EMS SYSTEM AND THE NUMBER OF EMS PERSONNEL HAVING ACCESS TO EDUCATION TO MAINTAIN THEIR CREDENTIALS AND CONTINUE TO SERVE IN AN EMS AGENCY PROVIDING PATIENT CARE IN OUR RURAL SETTING.
