A new group of paramedics will soon be on the streets to help with Windsor-Essex's sick and hurting.
Essex-Windsor EMS graduated its latest class of paramedic candidates in commencement exercises Friday at the Essex County Building in Essex.
One by one, the 22 candidates stood before a packed gallery to receive a certificate of completion, their paramedic ID, shoulder tags and a "challenge coin", which is described by Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter as a sign of solidarity and belonging among a class of paramedics.
Krauter says this group is one of two that will be training this year thanks to enhancement funding granted by the county, to prepare new paramedics and replace the older ambulances in their fleet. The chief says there are 320 paramedics in the county now, but there's always room for additional paramedics on the streets.
"We could always use more, but it's meeting the objectives and the approval that we received from county council back in December for an enhancement," says Krauter. "In May we will be able to add our new ambulances onto the road."
Krauter says a total of 49 candidates will go through the four-month training program this year. These were chosen from over 340 people who submitted application forms, according to the county.
The chief says the county always looks for a specific type of recruit when it comes to narrowing the applicants down and inviting them to the training program.
"We work through the interview process to see if they meet our criteria of compassion, integrity and accountability, to make sure we have the right mix of paramedics," says Krauter.
Caullin Rundle of Windsor is one of the recruits receiving their paramedic stripes. He tells BlackburnNewsWindsor.com he has always wanted to become a paramedic, and he credits his success to a specific mentoring program used in the training process.
"They take a senior medic who's been around for awhile, knows the ropes and is comfortable where they're at," says Rundle. "There's a sheet we fill out, and they pair us up according to hobbies and things that we like."
Rundle says he's excited to have a chance to work in his hometown, and that scenarios and role-playing are part of the training. Beginning within the next couple of weeks, though, the new graduates will start heading out in the ambulances, learning the on-the-street ropes with their mentors.
