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DeKalb Technical College’s Department of Public Safety and Security is increasing its fleet of emergency vehicles. Newton Medical Center is donating two ambulances to the school for education purposes. Lt. Chris Hughes says that a lot of DeKalb Tech EMS students ride with them, and the donation of the ambulances will make the students better prepared to enter the real world. “At least they can practice, learn and train on an actual ambulance,” says Hughes.
Discussions between DeKalb Tech and Newton Medical Center EMS Department have been going on for several weeks. James Osburn, the former EMS Director at Newton Medical sealed the deal before he transitioned to a new opportunity. Newton Medical Center will typically rotate older equipment out of its fleet as new ambulances arrive. Currently there are 7 vehicles that are used on a daily basis for Newton Medical. The two type 1 ambulances, valued at $15,000.00 each, were part of the front line of emergency medical response for several years according to Hughes.
Dr. Richard Wieser, DeKalb Tech’s Public Safety and Security Department Chairperson says, “This donation is much-appreciated and a welcome addition to our curriculum. It gives us a mobile classroom in which we can teach not only the theory, but also the practicality of emergency paramedic and medical training.”
Lt. Hughes says, “Some students will come to work as EMTs and have never been in the back of an EMS truck before, so this is a whole new world for them.” Weiser adds, “DeKalb Tech students currently get state of the art training. With these donated ambulances the students will be able to simulate real-world situations in the classroom. This will make them even more prepared once they leave DeKalb Tech.”
The students who will be using the donated ambulances are working on their Associates of Applied Science Degree, their Diploma in Paramedic Technologies or their Technical Certificate of Credit as Emergency Medical Technicians.
DeKalb Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, promotes a student-centered environment for lifelong learning and development, encompassing academic and technical education for employment in a global community. The college has 8 centers of learning in DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale, and Morgan counties. Established in 1961, DeKalb Technical College currently has more than 4,000 students enrolled in diploma or degree programs and more than 9,000 in adult education classes. Academic and Technical programs at DeKalb Tech cover more than 100 different occupations. For more information visit our website at www.dekalbtech.edu.
