By Christopher Braunschweig
Newton Daily News
JASPER COUNTY, Iowa 鈥� Jasper County Emergency Management Agency secured $8,000 from the board of supervisors on Oct. 8 to go towards EMT training for individuals selected by the region鈥檚 volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services. The funds are expected to be reimbursed to departments covering the training costs.
Jamey Robinson, director of Jasper County EMA, said the EMT class through DMACC would get volunteers trained to help departments all across the county. The training costs about $1,900 per person. Robinson hoped to find funds not only from the county but through grants to assist the smaller agencies.
鈥淲e can probably reallocate some funds for another project that we鈥檙e going to do, too,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淲ith that we would be reimbursed upon completion and certification. We鈥檙e not just going to give money to individuals that don鈥檛 actually complete or participate in EMS here in Jasper County.鈥�
Volunteers could start the class as early as November and be finished by March 2025. Robinson said Jasper County EMA already has a registration link that is being used to recruit individuals interested in the class. Several departments have also reached out saying they have one or two people who want to sign up.
鈥淔or these smaller departments, that is a lot of money to come up with right now,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淓specially when you鈥檙e talking one or two people. It would be on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, they would have to be certified. We鈥檙e not just going to give it to them and let them take it without completion.鈥�
Supervisor Brandon Talsma was receptive to the idea. He liked that the training would help with the establishment of a countywide EMS coalition and maybe even convince the smaller towns that Jasper County is not trying to take over the territory of their volunteer agencies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a struggle sometimes from the county鈥檚 perspective to do something that can easily be sold as this is really helping everybody countywide,鈥� Talsma said. 鈥淚 think this is one of those things that would honestly be very easy to argue that it is helping countywide ... I don鈥檛 have a problem with helping out.鈥�
Supervisor Denny Stevenson, who volunteers for the Kellogg Fire Department, asked Robinson if the individuals participating also have to front the money to get into the class. Technically, yes, they do, Robinson said. Stevenson said having the money upfront is the biggest problem volunteers face.
In total, Robinson wants to have $16,000 to go towards the EMT training, and he was sure he could make up the other $8,000 after the board鈥檚 contribution.
Robinson said, 鈥淎gain, grant money or reallocation of some of EMA鈥檚 funds. We had a project that isn鈥檛 going to go through because the other party didn鈥檛 want to participate, and I don鈥檛 want to put money toward something that they don鈥檛 want to participate in as well when it鈥檚 really their responsibility.鈥�
When individuals complete the EMT class and receive their official certifications, Robinson said Jasper County EMA will reimburse them.
鈥淚f we get ten individuals countywide and we take our $16,000 divided by ten people, and that鈥檚 the money they would get back towards that,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淪o it might not be a full reimbursement. But, again, we can have those discussions with the EMS side of things.鈥�
Stevenson noted he absolutely supports the idea but he wanted to voice his concerns. Costs are a major barrier for small-town volunteers. Robinson said the departments are usually pretty good about picking people they know will succeed in these types of training.
鈥淚t takes time and a lot of energy to be an EMT,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 only a few months of schooling, but for that few months of schooling you鈥檙e doing bookwork, you have to take tests, you have to pass tests, you have to go out and do clinical and ride time and ER time, you have to get patient contacts.鈥�
It is a large commitment for what is essentially a volunteer position. Robinson said he will work with students and departments to make sure they use all of their opportunities to get the certifications. He hopes the departments cover the costs for the volunteers knowing they will complete the training and be reimbursed.
Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said if it were him he would not pay for EMT training if his department did not help him out as a volunteer. To him, this is the 鈥渆asiest, no-brainer investment鈥� he has ever seen. Halferty said supervisors should use ARPA funds if there are still ARPA funds available.
鈥淰olunteerism is dying and we鈥檝e got to do something sooner rather than later,鈥� Halferty said. 鈥淚鈥檓 preaching to the choir, I think. These volunteers do a tremendous amount of time after the class training, showing up, (maintaining) equipment, doing monthly audits and inspections, going through state audits.鈥�
Again, Halferty stressed it is a good investment for supervisors. The board of supervisors followed suit and voted 3-0 to provide up to $8,000 for the training.
(c)2024 the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa)
Visit the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa) at www.newtondailynews.com
Distributed by
Looking to navigate the complexities of grants funding? Lexipol is your go-to resource for state-specific, fully-developed grants services that can help fund your needs. Find out more about our grants services here.