BCC to Offer Two Summer EMT Training Courses

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PITTSFIELD, MA — Berkshire Community College (BCC), in conjunction with Action Ambulance and County Ambulance, will offer two EMT training courses this summer. 
 
The Action Ambulance course will be held June 2 – Sept. 6 on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and every other Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The County Ambulance course will be held June 16 – Aug. 23 on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and every Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Seating is limited, and 100 percent attendance is required. Scholarships are available for students who qualify.  
 
To register for either course, email workforce@berkshirecc.edu or call (413) 236-2115. 
 
An EMT works alongside paramedics to help assess injuries, provide emergency medical care and transfer patients to medical facilities. EMTs typically: 
  • Respond to calls for medical assistance, such as at the scene of a car accident in which someone is injured 
  • Assess people's condition and determine what treatment, if any, is needed 
  • Provide treatment, such as first aid or life support care, to sick or injured patients 
  • Prepare patients for and safely transport them to the emergency department of a hospital or other healthcare facility 
  • Document and report observations, and any treatment provided, to physicians, nurses or other healthcare staff  
  • Inventory and replace medical supplies and clean equipment after use 
 
The program covers the National Emergency Medical Services Educational Standards and 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 may apply for certification by the Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services. 
 
Sponsored by the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board, this project is funded through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund FY '21-FY '22 Appropriations and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. It is administered by Commonwealth Corporation. 

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WWII Veteran Reflects on D-Day at VFW Post Induction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

The members in the picture are Bret Miller, Coast Guard, Desert Storm; Hank Morris, Army, Vietnam; Brad Havill, Navy, Global War on Terror; VFW Post 448 Vice Cmdr. Mark Pompi, Army, Global War on Terrorism, Afghanistan; Post Cmdr. Arnold Perras, Korea; Joe Difillipo, Army, Vietnam; Teri Billington, Navy, Desert Storm; and Carmen Ostrander, Air Force, Afghanistan.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Anthony Salatino Jr. says his memory is getting a little foggy about his time in the Army. 

But he remembers how terrible D-Day was, and feeling lucky he wasn't among those in the initial invasion force 82 years ago. 
 
"One of the most horrible things was in Normandy. We went shortly after D-Day. I got lucky, very lucky on D-Day. We went to a staging area the night before … and at the very end, somebody called, I was in headquarters, they called all the headquarters personnel at the center," the 103-year-old said. "We did not go. There's about 30 of us. The rest of the battalion was gone, and the reason for that was because there was another battalion coming from the States, and they had no headquarters. 
 
"We stayed back, but we did go to Normandy shortly after that, and when we went to Normandy, it was all over."
 
Salatino was attending an induction ceremony on Thursday at the Lt. John N. Truden VFW Post 448. Joseph Texidor, who served in the Army for 17 years with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sworn in as the post's newest member. 
 
Salatino served in the Medical Corps and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a World War I veteran wounded at Verdun. Salatino was in the Army for about three years.
 
"The whole memory is what I just told you, very, very alive to me," he said. "That is, I can never forget, never forget that."
 
D-Day on June 6, 1944, was the start of Operation Overlord, and the largest invading force to cross the English Channel since 1066. Their goal: to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. 
 
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