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Sheriff asks County to help fund EMT training for deputies and local officers; requests $12,600
Summary
Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Parton requested $12,600 to complete EMT certification training for deputies and regional police officers; LewisGale Montgomery pledged $3,000 toward the $16,000 program cost. Sheriff and Board members described the training as life‑saving and regional in scope.
Sheriff Hank Parton asked the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 to help fund EMT training for deputies and regional police officers so they can render emergency medical care while awaiting ambulance arrival.
Parton said the total cost for the training program is about $16,000, of which LewisGale Montgomery had pledged $3,000. He requested the county provide the remaining $12,600 to cover student‑participant fees, materials and state testing required for state EMT certification.
The Sheriff said the first cohort would include 4 Blacksburg officers, 6 Christiansburg officers and 16 Montgomery County deputies; the program instructor is Chris Crookshanks, a state‑certified EMT instructor and New River Community College adjunct. Parton told the Board the training begins in late May and runs through late August.
"As deputies and police officers are responding to scenes where medical assistance is needed, why do we need to wait for an ambulance?" Parton asked, explaining the program would equip officers with the same lifesaving equipment carried on ambulances and allow them to begin treatment in critical incidents.
Board members generally expressed support but did not take an immediate vote. Supervisors praised the regional cooperation among Blacksburg, Christiansburg and the county and noted participants would perform training in addition to regular duties. Supervisor Biggs and others asked for the funding within the next month or two so training can proceed on schedule.
Why it matters: early basic life‑support care by first officers on scene can shorten response intervals for critical conditions such as severe bleeding, airway compromise or cardiac arrest; Sheriff Parton and several supervisors argued EMT certification for deputies would enhance the county’s emergency response capacity.
Clarifying details: program cost $16,000; LewisGale Montgomery pledged $3,000; county request $12,600; cohort: 4 Blacksburg officers, 6 Christiansburg officers, 16 county deputies; training window late May through late August; instructor Chris Crookshanks (state certified EMT instructor).
