ENN 5/17/96 08:14

First Class of DFD Paramedics to Graduate

DETROIT (ENN) - The first class of paramedics from the Emergency Medical Service Division of the Detroit Fire Department will graduate on Monday, 20 May 1996. This graduation is the beginning of an effort to train two-thirds of the DFD's EMS Division in advanced life support skills by 1998. Gary Kelly, the Superintendent of the DFD EMS Division said, "These new paramedics, who have passed the stringent standards of emergency medical professionals, together with new EMS vehicles, are building one of the strongest EMS systems in the country."

Doctor Brooks Bock, the Medical Director of the Detroit East Medical Control Authority, said, "Our ability to save the lives of emergency patients will be significantly enhanced with this new group of paramedics in the field."

Currently, there are 210 emergency professionals in the Detroit Fire Department EMS Division. About 33 percent of them are paramedics. The rest are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's). Detroit did not enhance their EMS capabilities before because the city said it did not have the resources to do so.

(c) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996, All Rights Reserved.

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