BFD Firefighter Stephen Mead looks forward to more training

By Anne Eickstadt

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Republican
BFD Firefighter Stephen Mead keeps training and studying hard to learn to better help the people of the community.

Editor

Stephen Mead, firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, has a full-time job at the Belvidere Fire Department and has just completed over 800 hours of classwork in the span of the past 10 months to become a paramedic. And he is not done yet – he still needs to put in another 250 hours riding along in an ambulance for real-world experience. On his own time. If they have room for him.

“I don’t have much of a life right now,” he said. “I am doing all of this between shifts. I will be coming in on my off days to ride with the paramedics. I am required to be a paramedic in this department. It’s something we all have to go through and complete.

“Now that I am done with that class, I can get more certifications. A watercraft tech course starts in July. I am working to get on the deployable MABAS team for water rescue. After that, I can get more certifications and there is other training I can go through.

“Why? I am doing this to provide the best possible care to the citizens of Belvidere. To become, overall, a better firefighter. There are different things that can occur …

For complete article, pick up the July 4 Belvidere Republican.