BETHEL, Ohio — A Bethel-Tate Fire Department firefighter and EMT has completed the Cincinnati Fire Department’s paramedic training program, the department announced in a Facebook post.
FF/EMT Mallory Smith finished the roughly 11-month program, during which she logged hundreds of hours in the classroom and in the field, the department said. Smith still must pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam before she can be certified as a paramedic in Ohio, according to the department.
The department shared a photo of Smith holding her program certificate alongside Bethel-Tate Fire Chief Chris Cooper and Assistant Chief Jerry Welch, congratulating her on the accomplishment.
The Cincinnati Fire Department’s paramedic program, run jointly with the University of Cincinnati’s Division of EMS, requires about 1,100 hours of instruction, including 570 hours of classroom work, 110 hours of clinical training and 300 hours of field internship, according to the program. Applicants must already hold an EMT-Basic license in Ohio or national certification before enrolling. The program reports a 91% first-time pass rate on the National Registry exam, which graduates must clear to earn state paramedic certification.
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians is the national certifying body that sets a common standard for EMS personnel, administering the written and practical exams most states, including Ohio, require for paramedic licensure.
The Bethel-Tate Fire Department operates out of Clermont County’s Station 2 under Chief Cooper, responding to roughly 2,100 fire and EMS calls a year — the seventh-highest call volume among Clermont County’s 15 fire departments. The department holds an ISO Class 3/3Y rating, a measure of fire protection capability that places it in the top 12% of departments nationwide.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Bethel-Tate Fire Department.