National EMS week is being celebrated May 15-21, 2022. This year’s theme, Rising to the Challenge, is a testament to the men and women who serve the needs of communities across the nation each and every day. The Tiffin Fire/Rescue Division rises to the challenge to serve the City of Tiffin, and contracted areas of Clinton and Eden Townships. As a fire based EMS service, we provide advanced life support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The fire rescue division consists of more than 30 members who are all trained in emergency medical care. Twenty-four of those members are state certified paramedics, which is the highest level of EMS care provider. In order to become a paramedic in Ohio, you must first become an EMT- Basic which consists of about 196 hours of training plus field training. From there, the paramedic program takes about two years and includes upward of 500 classroom hours and 450 clinical hours. Paramedics study intensively in subjects that cover anatomy and physiology, cardiology, pharmacology, and much more. In order to keep certifications active, paramedics have to complete 86 hours of continuing education requirements every three years to ensure they are up to date on new training and skills.
The Tiffin Fire/Rescue Division rises to the challenge while responding to an ever increasing call volume each year. From 2020 to 2021, call volume increased by 12.2 percent. So far in 2022, calls are up an additional 10 percent from last year. Our department is fortunate enough to have three advanced-life-support-equipped ambulances that are used to respond to calls for service. More times than not, citizens may see two or all three out at the same time on different incidents.
We are blessed to have amazing support from our city administration and community, providing for a tremendous staff who are the back bone of our department. Our firefighter/paramedics are dedicated members of our community. Typically we are not called when someone is having a “good day.” Our personnel see and handle tough situations for complete strangers, family and friends. Firefighter/paramedics find themselves aiding citizens in many ways. In the same day they could treat a traumatic injury, provide lifesaving cardiac resuscitation, act as a mentor or counselor, teach a group of children how to call for help or an elderly couple how to prevent falls in their home. The career of a firefighter/paramedic is a way of life that takes courage and commitment. We are able to live in and enjoy the community we love knowing someone is there for us in the time of need. So this National EMS Week, please join me in honoring our Fire/EMS crews for always rising to the challenge. Thank you for your support.
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