If the city doesn't receive the $222,265 grant, the fire department still intends to send the firefighters through the training program, an OFD official said Wednesday. The Daviess County Fire Department is also enrolling firefighters into this year's class.
Officials said the program benefits the community by providing paramedics during a time of paramedic shortages, while also allowing fire responders to do advanced medical interventions when called to scenes.
The Assistance to Firefighters grant is through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The paramedic program was created through a collaboration with the city and county fire departments, Owensboro Community & Technical College and American Medical Response.
Battalion Chief Colter Tate of the city fire department said the department has seven paramedics, including two who finished the paramedic class and were certified in December. Two additional firefighters have completed the class and are in the process of being certified.
"Our goal for the paramedic program and ALS (advanced life support) is to provide services at all five fire stations we currently have," Tate said. "That would be an eventual goal."
City commissioners approved applying for the grant Tuesday night. The city would have to allocate $22,000 in matching funds if the grant is approved.
The total cost covers tuition, materials and fees, such as the program's accreditation fee, Tate said. The funds will also cover overtime for the firefighters to attend classes on their days off.
If the city does not receive the FEMA grant, OFD will request funds to send firefighters to the class in their 2023-24 budget. The new budget year begins in July, and the paramedic class begins in August.
The program helps address the paramedic shortage, which was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tate said.
"The workload increased dramatically" for paramedics during the pandemic, he said. "It brought the problem to light."
Daviess County Fire Chief Jeremy Smith said he is also looking to send two to four county firefighters to the new class.
The county fire department has 10 paramedics, so there are paramedics on duty each day. Smith said a challenge going forward is getting new paramedics to replace those that retire. The department's first paramedics are approaching 20 years of service, which will make them eligible to retire with a full pension.
"We are very blessed right now, but as people near retirement, we have to keep this program going" and encourage firefighters to become paramedics, Smith said. "I can think of four (paramedics) that will be eligible to retire" in the near future.
Smith said officials are happy with the paramedic program the agencies and OCTC have put together.
"It is a great success," he said. "We are more than pleased with it."
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