New Emergency Medical Responders Needed

By Colleen Gundlach

The Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance is always there when needed and they want to continue to always be there, but to do that they need volunteers. The ambulance crew is a very strong, well-trained and efficient volunteer staff of emergency medical responders (EMR) and emergency medical technicians (EMT), but more are needed.

Christopher Little is the Chief of Service for the ambulance corps. He says that they are at critical mass right now with the number of trained professionals on their roster. “We need to increase our core group so that the schedule can loosen up. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, from young people to retirees.”

Since EMRs and EMTs are especially needed, the ambulance group is sponsoring an EMR course to train prospective new ambulance volunteers. The course will begin on December 16 and will include 72 hours of EMR training, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

This intensive training, taught by Kitty Hickok, will prepare the volunteer to be ready to respond to medical emergencies with confidence and skill. Little says that the EMR course will provide 98% of the training needed to become an EMT. “State regulations require 180 hours for EMT certification, so the EMR status makes this type of training more accessible to people who can fit the 72 hours of training into their schedule as opposed to 180.”

The Norfolk ambulance is a 100 percent volunteer and 100 percent non-billing organization. They never charge a fee for their services and are supported solely by donations. For more information about the upcoming EMR course, contact Christopher Little at cl@csvl.com.