U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a $97,900 grant award to North Georgia Technical College (NGTC) that will improve ambulance-based safety and technology training for Emergency Medical Services program students. Funding comes from the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program which is designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas.
“Emergency Medical Service is the gateway to and an integral part of the healthcare system,” said USDA Rural Development State Director Quinton Robinson. “This funding will help Emergency Medical Services professionals upgrade their skills by incorporating health IT in the pre-hospital environment,” said Robinson.
NGTC will use the $97,900 RBDG to purchase an ambulance and other related technology to improve training for its five Emergency Medical Services programs of study. Graduates will learn highly desirable and hirable industry requested skills such as the ability to safely drive an ambulance in emergency conditions; safely load and unload patients without risk to the patient or to the EMS personnel; and to effectively operate ambulance-based, life-saving technology. RBDG funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement.
This project is a targeted Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education project. Since FY 2013, USDA Rural Development Georgia’s STEM initiative has provided 11 grants totaling $594,000 to various STEM education projects to help rural Georgian’s gain a competitive advantage in the job market.
Several medical transport businesses in the college’s eight-county service area (Fannin, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, Union, Towns and White) provided letters of support for the project and said they would consider program graduates for new positions.
The Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. A list of Georgia FY2015 RBDG awardees is posted online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/ga_fy15RBDGlist.pdf . For program information, contact Business and Cooperatives Programs Specialist Toni Grimes at (706) 552-2561.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.