On January 7, 1974, the first class of Toledo firefighters began training to become Paramedic/firefighters in classroom 32 of the East Laboratory in the Roche Building at what was then the Medical College of Ohio. Now, forty years later, the training is again taking place at the University of Toledo Medical Center. Through the course of its history, the paramedic training program has been in place at various institutions and now is done “in-house” in conjunction with the University of Toledo Medical Center using our own personnel assigned as instructors. In addition to learning from our instructors the opportunity to interact and receive instruction from various doctors, specialists and medical students also exists with this arrangement with U.T.M.C.
The latter part of the1960’s saw the beginning of an emergency care delivery system in Toledo and other cities in the United States. Many early prehospital E.M.S. providers were firefighters that had training in first aid giving them the opportunity to provide basic medical care outside of the hospital setting. This made sense due to the fact that firefighters are already trained rescuers and are strategically positioned throughout our community to respond quickly when help is needed.
The Toledo Fire & Rescue paramedic service that started with William Brown, Michael Condon, James Dugan, David Hilton, Alan Janney, Paul Johnston, Renzo Maraldo, James Markland, Ralph Mungons, Sammy Reynolds, Burnill Rouster, and Danny Thetford continues and thrives today in our city. Toledo Fire & Rescue firefighters are among the finest in the country responding to a variety of fire incidents and rescue calls providing a service that is further enhanced by the ability to provide medical care when needed.
Today, the training that takes place at the University of Toledo Medical Center employs the latest in medical training technology such as 3D Labs and Simulation Lab Mannequins. Students spend hundreds of hours in classrooms, hands-on labs and clinical settings such as the emergency room, Cath Lab, I.C.U., Pediatrics, OB/GYN, the Burn Unit, Respiratory, and the operating room.
So the next time you see your Toledo firefighters responding, it may not be a fire that they are responding to, but to help someone in need with some type of medical emergency.