BCC's EMT Training Course Fills Need in Berkshire County

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) reports that of the 13 students who completed its Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, nine took the required psychomotor test, and all nine passed the exam. 
 
Once they pass the written exam, they will be ready for immediate employment as EMTs in Berkshire County, filling an urgent workforce need. 
 
EMTs work alongside paramedics to help assess injuries, provide emergency medical care and transfer patients to medical facilities. A psychomotor test measures proficiency in hands-on skills, including patient assessment and management, ventilatory assistance, oxygen administration, cardiac arrest management and spinal immobilization. 
 
Christine Isca, a paramedic with 25 years of experience who is the training supervisor and instructor coordinator for County Ambulance Service, noted that if all nine students complete the certification process, it would be enough to supply north, south and central Berkshire with three new EMTs each. Isca is the instructor for BCC's EMT training courses. 
 
The EMT program, part of BCC's Workforce Development and Community Education department, conducts both in-person training in Pittsfield and virtual training in Great Barrington and North Adams. The program prepares students for the National Registry of Medical Technicians practical and cognitive testing. Upon completion of the program and successful certification with the National Registry of EMTs, students can apply for certification by the Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services. 
 
Tiffany Moreno, Instructional Program Manager: Health & Social Services at BCC, said the EMT program is "a great reflection of community partnership and BCC's ability to meet the needs of the community as a whole." This success, Moreno said, directly aligns with 1Berkshire's Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, which aims to support economic development across the region — specifically, the healthcare cluster, which employs more than 11,000 people and represents a substantial portion of the county's jobs. 
 

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Pittsfield Board Suspends Bei Tempi's Liquor License for Underage Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Licensing Board on Monday voted to suspend Bei Tempi's liquor license for five days, determining that it was "more likely than not" that the bar served at least one underage patron alcohol. 

The penalty will begin on July 6. 

"I just think the conventional wisdom would dictate that two minors don't go into a bar on multiple occasions to get juice," board member Jon Lifvergren said, referring to the contents of a glass in video surveillance. 

"It's conceivable, it's possible, but conventional wisdom- just, every fiber of my being is just saying, what's the likelihood of that? That they've been there, from what I understand, on multiple occasions, to have some juice?" 

Earlier this year, Police Capt. Matthew Hill received a call from an upset parent about her 19-year-old daughter patronizing Iztac Mexican Restaurant at night and being served.  Those photos resulted in a two-week liquor license suspension for Iztac, which is now closed, and the same mother submitted an almost identical complaint about Bei Tempi, accompanied by photos.  

At the last hearing, the board watched security footage from the night, around 11 p.m., which does not display the establishment's door or bar, and heard from the patron's mother.  

Attorney Ken Ferris on Monday argued that there isn't enough information to substantiate the claim, specifically that video footage only showed a reddish liquid in a glass held by one of the girls and that they didn't appear to be stumbling. 

He said they were there to dance and not to drink. 

Board member Kathy Amuso said the police wouldn't have brought the incident forward if they didn't feel underage people were drinking. 

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