MASSENA - Massena Fire Department members, both career and volunteer, continue to train at Clarkson University to become New York State Basic Emergency Medical Technicians.

Fire officials say six career and two volunteer firefighters have taken the arduous course over the course of the last year, allowing them to respond to high priority medical emergencies within the town and village of Massena.

"This NYS course typically takes several months and consists of over 180 hours of book work and skills training," officials said.

Officials say the department also has several dozen members trained in First Aid and CPR and has three CPR/First Aid instructors on staff.

"With the local, statewide and national shortage of emergency medical providers, MFD hopes to help fill the gap locally by utilizing cross trained FF/EMTs to benefit the health and safety of our community," officials said.

Massena Fire officials say the first responder program will dispatch firefighters who are trained as EMTs, along with other first aid trained firefighters, to scenes of high priority medical emergencies within the district.

"This will allow a trained medical provider to be by a patient's side within minutes to start patient care and report updates to the responding ambulance. Our EMTs will be able to treat traumatic injuries, obtain vitals and administer basic medications to help stabilize a patient before the arrival of an ambulance," officials said.

Massena Fire is staffed 24/7 by career firefighters and will now have a career firefighter and EMT on duty almost 100% of the time, officials said.

"In the event of a medical emergency, our career members will respond from the station with equipment and our volunteer members will respond from home and work - which will cut down the time a patient is waiting for a medical provider to arrive. Our FF/EMTs will begin patient care if we arrive before an ambulance, will assist Massena Rescue EMTs with patient care while on scene together and will provide patient care to a patient if Massena Rescue is already on a call until they become available," officials said.

Fire officials say the newly cross trained staff will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the community in the event of medical emergencies.

"Our combination system will benefit the community and our rescue squad, who is the busiest in the county, by providing medically trained providers to these serious medical emergencies," they said.