"It's a significant number of calls every year," Fire Chief Jason Wells says. "Every ambulance in Lexington is very busy, so we have to keep pace with that."
Wells says last year alone his department responded to over 68,000 emergency calls – with nearly three-fourths being medical-related.
Lexington already boasts an unusually high number of firefighters who are certified paramedics – a step above the required level of training, known as EMT-basic. But with a new federal grant totaling nearly $930k – the second of its kind received by the city – the department is going to be able to put better trained personnel inside more vehicles.
"So we're up now to over 30 students in this class and that allows us to ensure that we're keeping pace with the size of our community, which is growing," Wells explains.
Lieutenant Chris Crowe, EMS Educator at the Lexington Fire Training Academy, says the grant enables the department to better equip those students to deliver high-quality care using cutting-edge technology.
The Fire Department began the nine-month training program for firefighters on September 10th, and they will graduate on May 30th, 2025.
