Funding For New Paramedics Urgently Needed Amid Pandemic

SEATTLE, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Medic One Foundation announced today that the need for donations to support the Medic One Paramedic Training Program has never been more urgent. The current class of paramedic students is at maximum capacity with 24 students––11 more students than last year!

EMS agencies around our region are facing a current and future staffing shortage of paramedics. With more paramedics retiring, there is an overwhelming need to get more paramedics in the field who have a strong knowledge base and are able to handle the high acuity of patient care needed during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, in addition to other medical emergencies that threaten the lives of thousands each year.

"The Medic One Foundation is the sole source of funding for the Paramedic Training Program," said Jan Sprake, Executive Director of the Medic One Foundation. "We receive no government dollars and we rely solely on charitable contributions from individuals and businesses to accomplish our life-saving mission."

In addition to supporting the Training Program, the Medic One Foundation has actively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing immediate and urgent funding for N95 mask decontamination equipment for over 45 fire departments, meals for fire responders staffing COVID-19 testing sites, and stress management support for first responders.

"Since 1974, the Medic One Foundation has invested more than $30 million in improving pre-hospital emergency care for all of us in this region," said Brooks Simpson, Board President of the Medic One Foundation. "Because these paramedics are on the front line during this difficult time, dollars are needed more now than ever before."

Because of the Medic One Foundation's funding of the paramedic training program, Medic One paramedics have more than double the number of recommended training hours, using the latest medical technology and medicine, as well as three times the national average for patient contacts. As a result of this additional training, cardiac arrest victims are two to three times more likely to survive in the Puget Sound region, making Seattle and King County a global leader in sudden cardiac arrest survival.

Without funding from donations, the Medic One Foundation cannot support the caliber of training and education that allows our region's paramedics to provide a level of pre-hospital care that is unmatched anywhere in the country. To donate, or for more information, visit www.trainclass47.com.   

NOTE TO MEDIA: 

• Interview requests as well as photo ops with the new training class should be directed to Lee Keller at [email protected] at 206.799.3805. Photos and additional information on the Medic One Foundation can be found in the company's press kit.

ABOUT MEDIC ONE:
Our region's Medic One system is regarded as the world's model for saving lives and is able to achieve a survival rate for cardiac arrest that is two to three times higher than other communities in the United States due to more than double the amount of training hours our paramedics receive. The Medic One Foundation is the sole supporter of this world-class training program that enables paramedics to provide ER-level care prior to patients reaching the hospital. For more information on the Medic One Foundation, please visit www.mediconefoundation.org.

SOURCE Medic One Foundation