The Hopkinsville Fire Department has had a busy year and Fire and EMS Captain Payton Rogers provided a recap and a glimpse into next year at Thursday’s Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club meeting.
Rogers shares that they have had around 4,000 firetruck runs and over 15,000 EMS calls setting a new record and putting them among the top five busiest fire and EMS services in the state.
While the Hopkinsville EMS service is well staffed, Rogers says there is a shortage of EMS workers across the state, resulting in some communities not having their own ambulance service.
To alleviate the shortage, the department has started a hybrid paramedic program that allows students to do online training at their own pace and in-person skill checks at satellite locations throughout the state. Â Â
Rogers the program has received a lot of interest that has gone beyond the state. Along with Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio are either home to an applicant or a satellite office and so far, 160 students have applied to the program.
The class starts in early January.
In November the department hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Station 5 coming to Walton Way. Rogers says construction is underway and half of the facility will be a fire station and the other half will be a training center.
Rogers says the new fire station is set to be operational by the end of 2025.