The City of Belleville Fire Department also has been working to get the Basic Life Support – Non-Transport designation for more than a year and now needs only the final inspection by the state.
It was delayed by the city council’s refusal to consider approval, claiming it was a union issue. Once the union contract was settled this spring, the fire department submitted all the paperwork to the county and state.
The department has all the necessary equipment mounted in its vehicles, except the epi pens which will be arriving shortly, said union president Lt. Brian Blackburn.
“We are waiting for the state inspection,” Blackburn said. “VBT had its inspection last Thursday. Once that inspection is done and we have the license in hand, we will go BLS, as well. Our guess is by the end of the month.”
Blackburn said once a department gets a hard copy of its official license on file and posted, it can go BLS.
Blackburn said Firefighter Matthew Loveland has been leading the department’s BLS upgrade and he has done a great job.
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