} March Page Comment 1976 5 Lives Preserved by Paramedics “My decision to become a paramedic really began when we were called out on a cardiac arrest call on the freeway,” said fire fighter Larry M. Kemp, student in the Paramedic Training Program, School of Allied Health, at Weber State College. Mr. Kemp is a fire fighter with the Salt Lake County fire department. “T had been switched from the fire engine to the ambulance. Two former fire fighters who were then paramedics were along. I was really impressed when I saw them performing such sophisticated techniques. They set up an intravaneous and began emergency care. Their knowledge allowed them to save the man’s life and get him to the hospital. With my first aid background I felt completely inadequate. Fire fighters are supposed to protect life and property. My training qualified me for saving property but I felt further training to preserve life would be very helpful.”’ When the opportunity arose for Mr. Kemp to become a part of the _ five-month paramedic training program at WSC he elected to take the step. Even though the long strenuous hours of the first week were catching up to him he was glad he, with the help of his wife and three children, had made that decision. The five-month program begins with eight weeks of intensive 8-10 hour days. Training is held in both classroom and hospital clinical areas. Hospitals involved are - McKay-Dee, St. Benedict’s, all Salt Lake City hospitals and the Utah Valley hospital in Provo. The trainees study subjects ranging from the metric system, drug computations, anatomy and physiology to units on respiratory diseases, cardiology, childbirth and psychology. “Every aspect of a patient’s care, including their psychiatric needs, are important for a paramedic to know,”’ said Mrs. Evelyn Draper, director of the program. Evelyn Training Draper, Program, director of WSC demonstrates Paramedics the use of life- . “‘We knew what we getting in for,’ said Mr. Kemp, citing the 5:30 a.m. to midnight sessions of the first week of the course. “‘It is tough and we have so much to learn. The directors are super,’’ he said, referring to Mrs. Draper and her assistant director, Judi Baxter. Mrs. Baxter is a critical care nurse and teaches nursing students on intensive care parttime. In addition to the comprehensive 800-1,000 hour classroom and hospital training the trainee must be physically fit himself in order to perform such tasks as extricating a victim from a wrecked car and pulling him to safety. Mrs. Draper and Mrs. Baxter have written a physical ability test, the first of its kind in the nation, to determine the stamina of the trainee. Brent Chynoweth, a graduate of a recent paramedic training program at WSC and a firefighter with the Orem fire department, feels that the rapid growth of the program in Utah and surrounding states will continue. “The paramedic training program has the support of the public and fire fighters,” he said. He foresees another unique factor springing from the training,” said fire fighter, Larry M. Kemp, “qualified me for G ‘My saving property but I felt further training to preserve life would be very helpful.’ saving equipment to trainee, Larry M. Kemp, and recent graduate of the program, Brent Chynoweth. program ‘‘accident prevention and health educational programs.”’ “Already in Orem we are teaching classes of women, including civic and religious groups, what to do in an emergency. Mothers are being taught how to protect their children. It gives them a greater sense of security in knowing they can deal with problems,’’ Mr. Chynoweth said. The young paramedic said that it was a ‘“‘wonderful feeling when he could assess a cardiac arrest and, in consultation with a physician, begin emergency care.”’ “Even EKG’s can be sent through telemetry to _ the physician in the emergency room,’ said Mr. Chynoweth, ‘“‘but the paramedic is truly the eyes, ears and nose of the absent physician, reporting all the signs and symptoms.”’ Summing up his paramedic experience, he added quietly but firmly, ‘‘Mobile Intensive Care Unit says a lot — service in the home and service on the road.”’