Press releases
Fire Department welcomes first firefighter/paramedic intern
Edina, Minn., Jan 29, 2009 –The Edina Fire Department recently welcomed its
first full-time firefighter/paramedic intern to shift duty. Josh Madden, who is
in the final phase of his two-year FireMedic program at Chippewa Valley
Technical College in Eau Claire, Wis., began working with the Department’s
C-Shift on January 26.
Madden will be integrated into nearly all aspects of the job, training with and
carrying out the same duties as the Department’s other firefighter/paramedics,
with few exceptions. While he will be responding to fire and emergency medical
calls as a member of the C-shift, as an intern he will not be allowed to perform
invasive medical procedures, take part in initial fire attacks or conduct search
and rescue activities. He will also be accompanied by a pair of
firefighter/paramedic mentors at all times.
Madden will be with the Department until mid-April to fulfill his hourly and EMS
run requirements for graduation. The internship is meant to give Madden a
fundamental understanding and real-world experience working on a 24-hour
firefighter/paramedic shift.
“The program [at Chippewa Valley Technical College] is quite unique in that it
offers both firefighter and EMS training simultaneously,” said Tom Schmitz, the
Department’s Training and Safety Battalion Chief. “We have had paramedic-only
interns in the past, but to have a student trained in a paramedic/firefighter
model is a better fit for the service we provide.”
Madden will be trained in the use of the Department’s life-saving equipment such
as the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). He will also receive training
on fireground accountability, emergency evacuation and mayday procedures.
According to Schmitz, along with fulfilling Madden’s graduation requirements,
the Fire Department will also benefit from having another trained
firefighter/paramedic at the station.
For more information, visit www.CityofEdina.com/Fire or call the Edina Fire
Department at 952-826-0330.
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