LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — To Alex Meade, being a firefighter is more than just putting out fires. Meade says to serve people, you have to understand them.
"You have to understand how people are built, like their biology, how they operate, how they function," Meade said.
That is why he, along with 33 of his classmates, are taking a roughly year-long course to earn their paramedic license.
“We can help improve patient outcomes, before we get to the hospital," Meade added. "So we are making a difference in the community with those people who may not have access to an urgent care facility that they might need."
Over the course of the program, students clocked in 1,500 total hours in addition to their 24-hour shifts at the station.
"It’s essentially like having a full-time job, while having a part-time job, while going to school. It's very difficult to balance," the student added.
Lexington is one of only two fire departments in the state that has its paramedic training program.
Lieutenant Chris Crowe tells me their course is better than the national curriculum.
“We are invested in our students, we are invested in our system,” Crowe said. “I want them to be slightly better. I want them to be really great through that process."
So, by the time these students leave the training ground, they know the material and their peers so well that team chemistry is already established.
"We've seen it, they know what each other's next steps are going to be. and they are working cohesively together. That is a beautiful thing to witness and experience,” Crowe concluded.
