Steele County Commission approves fixed training allocation to support EMR recertification

The Steele County Commission voted to set a fixed dollar allocation to support Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) recertification and continuing training after members discussed rising training requirements and staff challenges.

Speakers during the discussion noted that initial EMR training now requires roughly "100 hours of class" and that certified EMRs must complete "16 hours" of continuing training every two years. Speaker 3 said Kyle plans to run quarterly trainings and occasional weekend sessions to help staff meet requirements, and participants recalled prior per-person subsidy levels of about $1,500.

During debate about how much to set aside, Speaker 4 said, "Just put, like, $2,000 on there." Ramon Saggay moved to formalize a fixed dollar amount for the program; the motion was seconded and carried. The transcript records the motion as passed but does not include a roll-call vote or a detailed budget line-item in the minutes.

The commission’s action directs staff to include the approved funding amount in county budgeting and to coordinate training with Kyle’s proposed schedule. The meeting did not publicly identify a specific implementation timeline or how many employees would be funded; those details were not specified in the record.