Tucker County Commission Funds Class Cost for Participants
By: Lydia Crawley
Parsons Advocate
The Tucker County Commission unanimously approved a motion March 27th to fund community CPR certifications through classes being offered by Tucker County EMS. In the motion, the Commission committed up to $1,200 for community members to receive certification and training in CPR. The motion came after a presentation and update to the Commission by Tucker County EMS Training Officer Joe Strait.
According to Strait, three CPR classes will be held this year. Strait also said he intends to hold them at various places around the County. “I’m also trying to get three again this year,” Strait said. “I’m going to have them in varying places throughout the County.”
The Spring Class will be held April 6th at 9 a.m. at Canaan Valley Fire Department, according to Strait. According to Strait, there will also be classes held in June or July and then in the fall around September and October.
Strait requested funding from the the Commission with the goal for there to be no cost for the certification for the participants. Strait said there is an optional pocket mask that will be offered at the training at a cost of $5 to the participant that will not be covered by the Commission funding request. “My funding request is, I would like to have a goal that for the participants, it is no cost,” Strait said. “Except, there is an optional pocket mask that a person can get. That’s $5 and in this case I think that since it is optional, they can say yea or nae, that cost should be borne by them.”
The cost of the class runs $15 per person, according to Strait and is under the standard of the Emergency Care Safety Institute. Strait said the ECSI is comparable to the American Heart Association. “They are both comparable,” Strait said.
Strait said he will be instructing the classes with possible assistance from EMS Director Amanda Simmons. According to Strait, Simmons has received her CPR Instructor Certification and has a State Instructor Certificate as of the end of that week. “I will be doing the instruction,” Strait said. “Probably Mandy will be helping me.”
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau said he liked that the County can offer programs to its citizens without the cost of bringing in someone from outside. Rosenau commented that the efforts of several people has helped to not only instruct members of the community, but has also saved the community money.“We have people who have stepped forward in our community…that’s come forward to aid and assist anybody who is wanting to get their CPR, to get certification at the 911 Center, to get certification for their EMT’s, their license,” Rosenau said. “So on behalf of the Commission, we want to thank each and every one of those individuals for coming forward to save us money and to make us more prepared.”
Strait said that any money he is paid as a CPR instructor, he donates. Strait said his passion for Community CPR stems from the rural location Tucker County is. “We are in a very, very, very rural location,” Strait said.
Rosenau said that he applauds the effort. Rosenau also said that the need exists due to there not being a hospital in Tucker County. Rosenau also applauded the efforts of Tucker County EMS. “They do a great job with what they have,” Rosenau said. “But what we have here and the care we try to give our citizens and our guests, the Commission really appreciates it.”
The Commission voted unanimously to approve funding for the Community CPR classes. Under the motion, the Commission would pay up to $1,200 for participants to attend and receive their CPR certification. The funding will cover participants in all Community CPR classes throughout the year.
Strait also updated the Commission on an upcoming Mass Casualty Incident training that is scheduled to be held June 1st. The MCI training in June is a preliminary training for a larger event in August. The scenario of the August training, according to Strait and Tucker County Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin White is not a bus accident like the last one, but will center around an event like Run for It. According to Strait a MCI isn’t necessarily just a bus accident, but is more centered on preparing for what may happen at large gatherings of people. “It could happen at the Bluegrass Festival or Run for It,” Strait said.
The next meeting of the Tucker County Commission will be held on Wednesday, April 10th at 9 a.m. at the Tucker County Courthouse Old Courtroom in Parsons.
