Ambulance drivers respond well to 'emergency' course

Putnam County Operation Life recently completed mandatory training for its employees on emergency vehicle operations.

The driving course was developed by the Volunteer Fireman's Insurance Service and is recommended by the insurer for its agencies.

"We find that the driving course is a good method to train our staff on some of the basic fundamentals of driving," said Executive Director Kraig Kinney. "Our employees tend to find it to be both a challenge to do their best but that it also can be fun as well."

The course targets straight-line driving, serpentine driving to simulate curves, lane change, basic backing, and then parallel parking.

"Hopefully, we are not in position where we ever have to parallel park, but many of the skills are essentially to driving around traffic en route to an emergency scene," Kinney added.

Kinney thanked Greencastle High School for approving the training in their parking lot and the State Department of Transportation, which provided the cones.