By Mark Shaffer
The Ironton Tribune

Soon, Lawrence County will start offer EMT training.
“Lawrence County EMS will be able to offer initial EMT training and advanced EMT training through the State of Ohio,” said Trey Willet, the training coordinator/operations assistant for Lawrence County Emergency Medical Services.
He said Lawrence County EMS went through the state’s lengthy accreditation process and will be able to start offering those classes sometime after the New Year so the classes don’t conflict with the upcoming holidays.
“We will be able to offer the initial EMT training to the youth of the area. Starting at age 18, you can take a four to six month class and from there, you are able to start the job and earn upwards of $40-50,000 straight out of high school,” Willet said.
The classes used to be offered through Collins Career Technical Center, but after that program ended a few years ago, people interested in becoming an EMT had to take classes in Ashland, Kentucky.
“But now, we will be able to do something much more local for the people of Lawrence County,” Willet said.
The classes will be taught in Coal Grove at the county’s Joint Response Operations Center, also known as JROC.
After New Year’s Day, applicants can go to JROC and ask for Willet, who can provide them with paperwork to be filled out.
“We are working to get that application online as well,” he said. “But we haven’t got there yet.”
Willet will look through the applications and select people for the course.
He recommends that students looking to become an EMT should take “anatomy and physiology seriously in high school. A basic knowledge of those are a must for an EMT.”
He also recommends volunteering with a fire department as well.
Willet said the advanced training will be helpful for current EMTs to move up in their field.
“If you are already employed with us, we have a stepping stone to increase your knowledge, increase your pay, give you a springboard further into your career,” Willet said. “Any EMT can take our advanced classes.”
He said although it took since last summer to get the state accreditation for these classes, he said that there has been strong support for it from EMTs looking to take classes locally to public officials.
“The commissioners have been behind me 100% on everything I have needed and our director staff has been tremendously supportive of getting this program in place,” Willet said.