RGV Paramedics Take Critical Care Course

by Tony Vindell/LFN

More than 30 paramedics from throughout the Rio Grande Valley are better trained when dealing with emergency situations.

The group took a course last week to be certified in critical care just right before Emergency Medical Services Week, which is now in effect through Saturday, May 25.

Florida-based The Rescue Company was hired by The Training Regional Advisory Council of Harlingen to train the paramedics. The course was held at the Willacy County EMS building.

Carlos Tavarez, the company owner, said their main purpose is to educate people from basic paramedics to critical care.

“We cover a little bit of everything,” he said. “From safety to SWAT to intensive care.”

Tavarez said he founded the company two years ago but has been training paramedics for nearly two decades.

Part of last week’s training included working on a cadaver donated for research.

During another part of the course, paramedics got on their knees blindfolded and started detecting injuries marked with coins on a dummy.

Josh Granada said the paramedics assess the patient injuries to detect life threatening injuries.

Each paramedic went through the training as loud music was played, including Macarena, La Puerta Negra and heavy metal rock tunes.

Granada said the music was purposely played so the paramedics could perform their work with distractions.

Joseph Huerta, a paramedic from Brownsville, said the course was extremely interesting.

“Some of these things are new to me,” he said. “Things I have never heard before.”