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Cossatot Community College |
3 Domtar EMTs Place in Statewide Competition
30 July 2004
ASHDOWN – Three students from the October, 2003 EMT
class conducted by Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas
Workforce Development and Continuing Education Department have placed second
and third in the annual statewide Industrial EMT competition, held at Hot
Springs on July 22nd. The competition was put on by the Industrial EMT Society
and the Arkansas EMT Association (AEMTA – www.aemta.org). AEMTA is celebrating
its 35 year.
The three students participating in the competition were Duane Ivy, Wayne
Hickerson, and Rhonda Palmquist. Ivy and Hickerson placed second in the state,
and Palmquist and her partner placed third. Each of five two-person teams
was given a disaster-response scenario involving an injured person. They had
10 minutes to assess the scenario and the patient, and to develop and implement
a strategy to successfully treat the injured patient. Ivy, Hickerson and Palmquist
are all employed as on-site EMTs at the Domtar paper mill in Ashdown.
“These were difficult scenarios, and none of the teams were able to
complete them in the 10-minute time frame," said Joe Stephens, Adjunct
EMT instructor at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.
“The goal of the exercise is to have all of the decision-making that’s
involved in assessing scenarios and patients to become second nature, because
response time in an emergency situation is critical,” he added.
Stephens noted that gaining certification as an EMT is a stepping stone to
becoming a paramedic, “[Becoming a paramedic is] where the real job
opportunities are,” he said. The next class for persons interested in
becoming EMTs will be offered by the College in August. Waco Jackson will
be the instructor. Industry-specific EMT training can also be arranged on
demand. Contact CCCUA’s Department of Workforce Development and Continuing
Education at 800-844-4471 for more information.
Cossatot Community College offers both technical certification and Associate’s
degrees in a wide range of fields on its campus at De Queen, at extension
sites at Nashville and Ashdown, and at cccua.edu. It has an enrollment of
more than 1,100 students, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
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