MADERA COUNTY — On Tuesday the Madera County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to provide a 2.5 percent monthly incentive for those employees of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office who are certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).
This item was one of many priorities that came out of the 2017 management workshop where county leadership outlined a number of operational priorities including increasing medical training opportunities for deputies.
Deputies routinely patrol our rural county and frequently find themselves in positions to render medical aid prior to the arrival of other emergency assistance services.
While department personnel have basic life support certifications, it became clear that expanding and encouraging deputies to seek a higher level of training would benefit the public, employees and the deputies themselves.
The EMT course is a 17-week intensive training program that has to take place on their own time. The course requires passing weekly tests, a final and a practical skills assessment before taking the adaptive national registry certification test. Only after certification will the proposed pay incentive apply.
“As law enforcement becomes increasingly complex, this effort aims to increase the capacity of protection for our communities,” says the Sheriff’s Office.
(Reprinted from Madera Co. Sheriff Facebook page. Photo credit Madera County Sheriff’s Office).
