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First responders will train for autism awareness Jan. 11

T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Ciera Carleton, firefighter for OR&W Fire District, left, and Jenna Light, EMT for Spirit of ‘76 Volunteer Fire Department, prepare for the Autism Awareness Training Acceptance Program, a free workshop for first responders, set for Jan. 11 at the Belmont County EMA building in St. Clairsville. Carleton and Light are making awareness bags containing sensory items to aid with calls involving individuals with autism. The bags will be distributed to every squad in the county.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Fire and Squad Officers Association is looking forward to hosting the Autism Awareness Training and Acceptance Program for first responders Jan. 11.

Allan Ketzell III, president of the association and chief of the Brookside Volunteer Fire Department, said the association has been working toward this training for some time now. The program originally was set to take place last year; however, officials were forced to cancel due to COVID-19.

The free workshop will offer training on how first responders can better handle crisis situations and better communicate with individuals with autism and other special needs, Ketzell said. Over the last few years, first responders in the county have experienced an increase in autistic patients, and they want to be able to provide the best care possible during a crisis situation, he said.

“Being able to learn how they interact and so we’re able to work better with them on where their injuries are, and how to communicate with them. We’ve had several members in the fire service that have kids who are autistic, and we’ve learned from them and we’ve learned from their parents on how to handle them — learning little things they’re accustomed to doing. … This will help us with what we need to do to better protect them,” he said, adding that there are cases of autism where an individual is non-verbal and the course will aid in ways to help first responders decipher what is wrong with the patient by using alternative forms of communication.

The program is meant to help all first responders including firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and police. Ketzell said they are hoping for around 100 participants in total and at least one representative from each of the 25 fire departments in the county. If at least one person from the station attends the course, they in turn can pass on the information learned to fellow first responders, he said.

“It’s another tool for our toolbox. We deal with so many ranges of people and characteristics that this will give us another option to understand the people that we are treating,” he added.

Ciera Carleton, firefighter and EMT for OR&W Fire District and program organizer, and Jenna Light, EMT for Spirit of ’76 Volunteer Fire Department are working on putting together “autism bags” for each squad in the county. Carleton said each bag will be equipped with various sensory items including a white board for non-verbal communication, noise canceling headphones, a pediatric body chart so the individual can point to the part of their body that hurts, and other items that will help patients.

“The class will help teach how to use the items in the bags to communicate (with patients) and do what they need to do to help individuals who may be non-verbal,” she added.

Ketzell said they are constantly working to better educate first responders on how to help in emergency situations.

“And how to handle everybody with the best care that we can give,” he added.

Two time slots will be available — 1:30-4:30 p.m. and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Each class will hold around 50 people and will be held at the Belmont County Emergency Management building, located at 68329 Bannock Uniontown Road, St. Clairsville. If there is a lot of interest in the class, Ketzell said they may try to extend it another day.

Those interested in attending the free session must register by contacting Carleton at 740-310-1171 or Ketzell at 304-281-7921.

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