Over 20 Emergency Service Technician students representing Old Forge, Inlet, Raquette Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake and Indian Lake recently wrapped up their six months of education and training and are now serving- or continue to serve-their respective communities as EMS personnel.
The students received the bulk of their education from Dave Berkstresser, with assistance from Dan Rivet.
Both men are from Old Forge and certified by the Department of Health to instruct classes anywhere in the state or throughout the country.
Berkstresser was contacted early last fall by Hamilton County officials who requested that he instruct a class due to a low number of EMT’s serving that area.
He agreed, and in order to best serve the need in both the southern and northern ends of that county, filed for the class to be held at the Blue Mountain Lake Fire House, a mid-point destination.
At best, Berkstresser hoped to attract six to eight candidates.
But when classes began in September, sitting before him were 20-plus students—14 new to the training and the remainder seeking renewals of their EMT cards.
Seven more EMT card-holding students sat in on classes specific to Continuing Medication Education, according to Berkstresser.
Training was held two nights a week, four hours per night to reach the required total of 160 hours prior to the March 20 testing.
The standard basic EMT class included instruction on basic splinting, patient assessing, oxygen administration, CPR, and defibrillation.
The students needed to pass two state exams—one hands-on and one written—to receive their certification.
Both exams were conducted at the Indian Lake School. Berkstresser tested the hands-on portion which included operations at seven separate stations at the school.
The written in-classroom exam was proctored by a state official, collected and sent to the state for correction.
Berkstresser, who took his first EMS class almost 30 years ago under instructor Barney Barnum of Big Moose, has been an instructor himself for over 20 years.
Like all regional emergency agencies such as fire departments and ambulance crews, there is a void in numbers of volunteer personnel, said Berkstresser.
He urges anyone who may be interested in participating in any way, to contact their local agencies and lend a hand.
As for the next available local EMT class, Berkstresser hopes to lead another at the Woodgate Fire Department in January 2015.