Enough for three to become paramedics

Community members have donated enough money to get the training needed to bring three Port Aransas ambulance workers up to paramedic status, according to Darla Honea, the city’s finance director.

EMS Director Yancy Gillespie, who made a public request for contributions a few weeks ago, said he appreciates citizens coming through.

“It’s really going to benefit the city,” Gillespie said. Getting three emergency medical technicians (EMTs) trained to be paramedics is “going to be tremendous.”

The normal staffing level at the Port Aransas EMS is three EMTs and three paramedics. The city’s three EMTs recently have expressed an interest in getting the training needed to be paramedics, but money for that kind of thing in the city budget was scarce.

A South Jetty story quoting Gillespie on the need for funds ran on Jan. 19. In addition, Port Aransan Betty Crawford led a push for donations. Her husband, George, has been saved a number of times over the years by the Port Aransas EMS when he had heart attacks, Betty said.

The EMTs each have agreed to kick in $500 toward the cost of getting the online training they’ll need to become paramedics, Gillespie said.

In addition, the city has received $13,610 in private donations, according to Honea. The total taken in from the EMTs and the public will be enough to cover the $13,000 cost of training, and probably testing too, she said. Exact testing costs aren’t known yet.

Organizations making large contributions have included the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau, with a donation of $2,000, and the Port Aransas Kiwanis Club, donating $200, Honea said.

Gillespie said training could begin as early as this week.

An EMT can do things like bandaging, splinting, taking blood pressure and respiration rates and giving oxygen to patients.

A paramedic can do all that and more, like providing fluids through IV tubes, administering certain medicines to patients with heart problems and performing EKGs to examine heart rhythms.

Questions? Comments? Contact Dan Parker at (361) 749- 5131 or dan@portasouthjetty.com.