By EMS1 Staff
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Firefighters in the Columbia-Richland Fire Department will for the first time be trained as emergency medical technicians, allowing them to do more at the scene and to drive ambulances.
The move comes two years after the death of 3-year-old Jadan Myers-Pugh, who died after fire and EMS officials waited four minutes for a second ambulance to arrive before taking the boy to the hospital, according to an article by The State.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said the delay did not contribute to Jadan’s death, ruling the boy died from complications from the H1N1 virus, the article said. How, the incident did cause several firefighters to speak out publicly against the policy of not allowing them to drive ambulances, which prompted the change.
The change in policy, which officials say is intended to give responders more options, is designed to bridge the gap between the responsibilities of firefighters (who are not currently allowed to drive ambulances) and EMS providers (who are not allowed to drive fire trucks).
Under the new deal devised by city officials, the county would open its EMT-basic class to firefighters and will train them to drive ambulances, the State article said. In return, the fire department will seek certification from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control as a first responder non-transporting agency.