Questions About The Duggar Children's First Responder Status

[debrand]

I realize that some of the Duggar children are volunteer firefighters but nothing has ever been said about what type of training they received.

 

How long was their training and what did it cover?

 

TLC makes it sound as if the Duggar kids just showed up and were declared volunteer fire fighters without any additional training but that can't be true. I'm a little surprised that the program has not discussed this issue before.

[Justme]

They did show them in a classroom in the firehouse.

[debrand]

They did show them in a classroom in the firehouse.

Did they say how long the class was? What exactly was covered?

[Lillybee]

They were learning CPR on the show.

[debrand]

They were learning CPR on the show.

Didn't the entire family participate in the CPR class. That can't be all the training that they received. It is strange that TLC hasn't covered this.

[Lillybee]

I thought that was just the older kids.

[CanadianHippie]

Did they say how long the class was? What exactly was covered?

The only thing they really showed was CPR, I am guessing there is other training involved as well. I know that part of JD's job is to fight actual fires, and I think they showed him once training to enter a burning building (they apparently used a building donated by the Duggar's for that training though.)

[debrand]

Who is considered a first responder? Is it just police, firefighters and paramedics? How much training and time as a first responder do you need before you are calm and controlled during a crisis? Do we have any first responders on this forum?

[Jessica]

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia:

"A certified first responder is a person who has completed a course and received certification in providing pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. They have more skill than someone who is trained in basic first aid but they are not a substitute for advanced medical care rendered by emergency medical technicians (EMTs), emergency physicians, nurses, or paramedics. First responder courses cover cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator usage, spinal and bone fracture immobilization, oxygen and, in some cases, emergency childbirth as well as advanced first aid. The term "certified first responder" is not to be confused with "first responder", which is a generic term referring to the first medically trained responder to arrive on scene (police, fire, EMS). Most police officers and all professional firefighters in the US and Canada, and many other countries, are certified first responders. This is the required level of training. Some police officers and firefighters take more training to become EMTs or paramedics.

(blah blah blah...)

First responder training differs per state or country. Lifesaving skills in the first responder course include recognizing unsafe scenarios and hazardous materials emergencies, protection from blood borne pathogens, controlling bleeding, applying splints, conducting a primary life-saving patient assessment, in-line spinal stabilization and transport,CPR,and calling for more advanced medical help.Some areas give more training in other life-saving techniques and equipment (see below).

Emergency medical oxygen is a common supplementary skill that may be added in accordance with the 1995 DOT First Responder:National Standard Curriculum guidelines[7] or under the authority of EMS agencies or training providers such as the American Red Cross. Other supplementary skills at this level can include the taking of vital signs including manual blood pressures, advanced splinting and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), suction, and airway adjuncts.[8]

First Responders can serve as secondary providers with some volunteer EMS services. A certified first responder can be seen either as an advanced first aid provider, or as a limited provider of emergency medical care when more advanced providers are not yet on scene or available."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_first_responder

[Trynn]

A first responder is basically just someone who tries to keep someone alive before the EMTs come, at least, from what I understand. I took an EMT course, and all I know is that first responders generally hold C spine.

They did show some footage of the girls training, and actually it makes sense that they wouldn't cover too much of it because it would probably bore the viewers. I mean, it's school, come on.

I do not doubt their credentials. One can not just declare themselves a firefighter/certified first responder without getting slapped with a really heavy lawsuit. I also think it was JD that was paged the night Josie had that seizure. They wouldn't have paged him if he wasn't fully licensed, unless he was going with someone who was.

[trebello]

OK, I know nothing about the Duggar kids and any training they may or may not have had, so everything I'm about to say applies to volunteer firefighting in general.

It is not uncommon for volunteer departments to do mostly in-house training, especially if they are not near a major training institute. Professional courses can be very expensive for a small department. Where DH and I were volunteers, we were very fortunate. There was a major fire institute (shout out to Illinois FSI!) so were were able to get really awesome training, but smaller departments who were further away (and poorer) weren't able to do this all the time. Personally, even after 4 1/2 years on the department, I wasn't state certified in anything. I was, however, a kick-ass engineer. I could pump a truck within 5 psi of cavitation. I had no interest in the medical side, so it didn't really matter. All medical providers on our department were minimum EMT-B. We did have first responders as well, but, let's be honest - first responders can't really do much of anything in a truly life-threatening situation.

Those on our department who wanted higher training could get it. But again, we were right up against FSI, so those courses were available. My husband left with enough certification that when he was hired FT here in GA, he was brought on with no additional training required.

So, whole point of that convoluted post was to say that not having "official" certification doesn't make or break a volunteer firefighter. Most don't even have the opportunity, and are grateful for every warm body who will show up for training week after week. I hope that there is at least a probationary period for all new firefighters where they are. I can't imagine that there isn't, as no other firefighter on that department would ever go into a burning building with someone they didn't trust.

[debrand]

A first responder is basically just someone who tries to keep someone alive before the EMTs come, at least, from what I understand. I took an EMT course, and all I know is that first responders generally hold C spine.

They did show some footage of the girls training, and actually it makes sense that they wouldn't cover too much of it because it would probably bore the viewers. I mean, it's school, come on.

I do not doubt their credentials. One can not just declare themselves a firefighter/certified first responder without getting slapped with a really heavy lawsuit. I also think it was JD that was paged the night Josie had that seizure. They wouldn't have paged him if he wasn't fully licensed, unless he was going with someone who was.

I'm not questioning their credentials. I just wanted to know what was involved in their training. I thought first responders were firefighters, police and paramedics/EMTs.

[1004srs]

Some AMerican Red Cross Chapters offer 1st Responder Training. It isn't equal to an EMT's training - not even close.

[debrand]

Thanks for answering this, you guys.

[treemom]

It small towns (or suburbs outside of metro ambulance service) they use first responders to supplement their ems.

[Alecto]

In Arkansas, to be a volunteer firefighter the minimum is a 16-hour Introduction to Fire, a 16-hour Protective Equipment and a four-hour Wildland Fire class to be certified. So they have had at minimum 36 hours of training.

[sableduck]

Arkansas is rather vague on their websites,but it appears that they follow national registry guidelines. So a CFR has about 80 hours of training in medical and traumatic emergencies. They are taught very basic anatomy and physiology, assesment skills, taking vitals, splinting and spinal precautions, basic life support including airway adjuncts, packaging the patient, and depending on their local protocols may administer oxygen, epipens and aspirin. They stabilize, assess, and start treatment until the ambulance arrives.

[sableduck]

Also, JD was not paged personally when Josie had the seizure. His pager, a lttle one way radio we clip to our belts or whatever, would have alerted him and the other fire department members to the call. It is usually broadcast by the local 911 dispatchers. Here they say something like, Monterey rescue, Elmwood ambulance, respond to 159 Magee st for a one year old female in active seizures. (names made up)

[Kaylee]

Who is considered a first responder? Is it just police, firefighters and paramedics? How much training and time as a first responder do you need before you are calm and controlled during a crisis? Do we have any first responders on this forum?

It varies by locality. A lot of places do train police, firefighters, etc as first responders but there are first responder civilians. (In my part of NC) It's basically a 72 hour course that covers first aid and how to interact with EMS. First responders mainly do assessment and keep people still and stable until the EMTs get there. You need more training to be either a firefighter or an EMT than just a responder.