Soroptimists Donate Equipment To California Fire District
The donation, said Jo Harlow, Soroptimist president-elect, will go toward HeartCode ACLS, a self-directed, computer-based learning system that allows paramedics to be recertified without going away to class.
By state law, paramedics are required to be recertified every two years, which means that a station had to release an employee so he or she could attend class elsewhere. It also costs about $250 for each person, each time.
"The Soroptimists approached us earlier this year and asked if they could assist us in a way that would be of direct benefit," said Carol Gallagher, director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education and quality improvement for the fire district.
"We said, 'Boy, have we got a deal for you.' We'd been eyeing this equipment for a long time, but just didn't have the money."
The new equipment, recognized by the American Heart Association, moves test-takers through a rigorous review and allows the test to be taken online -- without the need to leave the fire station, Harlow said.
Developed as learning technology by Laerdal Medical Corp., the program takes about 32 hours to work through and is in CD form so it can be used on any compatible computer.
When paramedics ultimately pass the test, a new official certificate is issued. The paramedics are able to complete the course at their own pace and on their own schedule, which Harlow said saves time and money, especially in tight fiscal times when instructor resources, along with paramedic staffs, are limited. It is also interactive, with different scenarios depending on what the test-taker needs.
"We actually believe this will be enhanced over what they've learned in the classroom," Gallagher said. "Classes are in a group, and this is individualized for the specific needs of the person taking it."
The district already has purchased the equipment, and it will be up and running by Aug. 1, Gallagher said.
Doris Webster, vice president of the Concord Soroptimist chapter, said the group came up with the idea because members wanted to give something big, something that would assist the entire county.
"You can give $200 or $500 here or there, but the impact is small," she said. "We were looking for something larger that would impact all strata of society."
Most of the cost for recertification comes from the licensing fee for each individual who has to take the test. Based on the estimated need of the fire district, organization members and fire officials decided $8,000 would be appropriate. Gallagher said the old way of doing things cost the district about $14,000 per year.
All 75 or so of the paramedics in the district will be taking advantage of the online training, according to the fire district.
Nearly 70 percent of the fire district's calls are medical, officials said. Right now, there are paramedics on about half of the units in the countywide district, and the goal is to put a paramedic on every fire engine every day, throughout the county.
Officials say the statewide budget crunch has affected the district as it has many other agencies. As a result, officials there have trimmed the district's costs by postponing big-ticket items, like building and remodeling stations and buying new fire engines and other major pieces of equipment, said support services officials.
"As public providers, we are always asked to be good stewards of public money," Gallagher said. "But when there are tough budgetary times, we have to make decisions about where to put money and what resources are most important. In the end, we're getting a better product, and we couldn't be more thrilled."