Rural emergency
Updated: November 20, 2012
ARTHUR -- You call them during an emergency and they're the first ones to help.
Now a new initiative aims to make sure first responders have the tools they need to keep you and your family safe.
The focus is on rural communities. If there's an emergency in Champaign, it would just take a few minutes for an ambulance to get someone to the hospital.
But, in places like Arthur, it takes 40 minutes. It's a long ride when every second counts. That's why Lt. Governor Sheila Simon wants to offer EMT's online training.
An easy way for them to brush up on skills and be up-to-date on the latest technology. Some EMT's say, when it comes to their profession, training is a matter of life or death.
"It's very vital to making a good EMT, to be able to look back at that training and go, 'OK, I remember how to do this. I can do it. I've seen that and I've studied.' I think it really helps to increase the confidence of the EMT's that are out there," EMT Brian Mast said.
The Illinois House of Representatives EMS Task Force teamed up with Lt. Simon. It wants to make it so EMT's with licenses in Illinois can use them nationwide. There's currently no timeline when this is going to happen, but this is the first step of many to get the plan implemented.
The focus is on rural communities. If there's an emergency in Champaign, it would just take a few minutes for an ambulance to get someone to the hospital.
But, in places like Arthur, it takes 40 minutes. It's a long ride when every second counts. That's why Lt. Governor Sheila Simon wants to offer EMT's online training.
An easy way for them to brush up on skills and be up-to-date on the latest technology. Some EMT's say, when it comes to their profession, training is a matter of life or death.
"It's very vital to making a good EMT, to be able to look back at that training and go, 'OK, I remember how to do this. I can do it. I've seen that and I've studied.' I think it really helps to increase the confidence of the EMT's that are out there," EMT Brian Mast said.
The Illinois House of Representatives EMS Task Force teamed up with Lt. Simon. It wants to make it so EMT's with licenses in Illinois can use them nationwide. There's currently no timeline when this is going to happen, but this is the first step of many to get the plan implemented.
