Foreman left with no first responders

Officials cite death, retirement; effort to remedy the situation in the works

In July 2009, Foreman, Ark., had 18 medical first responders. Today, Foreman has none.

"Some of the first responders have died. Some have retired. Some want other people to take over the responsibility," Foreman Mayor Judy Adams said.

A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident or natural disaster.

"It's a pretty scary situation for a family when they call for an ambulance, and it takes 30 minutes to an hour to go to Foreman. We're not giving up on it," Adams said of recruiting first responders.

Foreman is in Little River County and has a population of about 1,011 based on the 2010 census.

"Two Foreman fire department volunteers have expressed a desire to go through the training with the stipulation they must be able to complete the course," Adams said.

Adams suggested the city provide funding to pay for the training and the cost of the book.

All council members agreed.

The tuition is $250 and $60 for the book, said Don Hale Jr., the county's emergency management coordinator. The first responder course is 40 hours and also requires completing a CPR class and a first aid class.

The Arkansas Fire Academy in Camden requires a person have a passing rate of 80 percent to become a first responder.

The course teaches how to determine injuries, communicate with the paramedics and ambulance crews, and restrict bleeding and "package" wounds for transfer to a medical facility.

"Taking the class is not a breeze," Adams said.

Little River County has 30 first responders, all volunteers, among its 14 fire departments, Hale said. The county population is about 12,359 and covers about 600 square miles.

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