W.Va. begins distribution of first responder med bags through Workforce Initiative and Cares Act

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - On Tues., Nov. 29, local Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) in our area began receiving med bags for their personal cars.

This will give first responders the ability to begin treating a patient before the ambulance even arrives.

The bags will contain almost everything an ambulance has. EMT’s used to only be able to purchase the bags themselves at a significant cost.

Now, through the governor’s EMS Workforce Initiative, they gifted a bag to each EMT in the state and did so also through the Cares Act.

Cynthia Persily, W.Va. higher education policy commission, said, “EMS personnel save lives every day when they are on the rig, but they also come up on the scene of an accident or they are at a high school gym, or they are in their backyard and their neighbor has an accident. So, they are able to quickly grab this and be able to essentially, you’re right save lives.”

Each bags costs about $300, and the state is in the process of distributing these to first responders statewide.

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