Copake, NY — 15th February — The Copake Community Rescue Squad and members of Copake Fire Company #1, located at 390 County Route 7A in Copake, conducted a joint training session at Station #1 with an emphasis on patient extraction instruments and ambulance familiarization. In addition to practicing procedures utilized in medical emergencies and auto accidents, firefighters and EMS workers studied rescue squad equipment. The training allowed both agencies to work directly with each other’s tools and procedures to improve coordination during emergency calls.

Along with a number of EMTs and paramedics, Pete Doty, the operations supervisor and paramedic, helped with the session and gave demonstrations of the equipment utilized in patient care and extrication procedures. In Columbia County, joint fire-EMS training is widespread and ensures that teams can work well together when emergencies call for both firefighting and medical response.