ERLANGER, Ky. — When Megan Ryle joined the Erlanger Police Department in July 2020, she never imagined she'd be learning to deliver babies or treat diabetic emergencies. But that's exactly what the veteran officer is doing as part of a new program that's turning police officers into certified EMTs.
"Not something I ever saw myself doing," Ryle said. "But if anybody knows me, especially the guys at work, I've got a million certifications, so I'm always down to do something new."
Ryle is among the first three Erlanger officers enrolled in a four-month EMT certification program at Gateway Community and Technical College.
How the idea came to be
Mayor Jessica Fette and then-Police Chief Kyle Rader were discussing retention struggles in January when they got the idea.
"I think I said something like, 'Man, it would be awesome if we could just train police officers to also be EMTs.' And he's like, 'That's not a bad idea,'" Fette said.
That January conversation has already saved at least one life. Two weeks ago, Ryle responded to a cardiac arrest call and arrived minutes before the ambulance.
"I got dispatched with another officer at the same time as the ambulance. The ambulance was doing something else. They were a little farther away," Ryle said. "I got to the scene at the same time as one of the fire chiefs, and we started the same thing. He started doing the bagging, and I started compressions right away. In a cardiac arrest, that can make a big difference."
WATCH: See how Erlanger officials say this consolidated public safety approach will improve emergency response
Erlanger Fire & EMS Chief Randy Godsey says his department handles about 3,300 EMS runs out of roughly 4,500 total calls annually, which is about 85% of their workload.
Godsey said he had seen similar concepts before, but only at Louisville's airport, where police and fire cross-train. He'd never encountered it in a city department.
"At first, I was kind of like, it's not anything I've seen before. Could it work? I said, 'Absolutely, I know it's worked at other departments, just not in the city aspect,'" Godsey said.
Strategic response advantage
The Erlanger Fire Department operates with three shifts of 10 personnel working 24-hour rotations. Vacation coverage typically requires expensive overtime. EMT-certified officers could fill gaps while reducing costs.
The cross-training also creates a significant tactical advantage as traditional fire and EMS response times to the city's furthest locations can reach six minutes from the station.
"If (officers) are out on patrol, they'll be able to get there sooner, and having the (EMT) training, they'll be able to get patient history, see what's going on with the patient, so that when our paramedics do get on scene, they can pass that information along, and we can be steps ahead of whatever the emergency is," Rader said.
Rader, who now serves as director of the newly formed Department of Public Safety, said he envisions a coordinated handoff system where EMT-trained officers provide initial care before transferring responsibility to fire department professionals.
"If a call gets dispatched that one of the EMT police officers that is on duty feels like they can assist, they will. They're already in their district. They'll go to the call, and they will do what they can to kind of triage the situation," Rader said.
Crisis response capabilities
The approach can also be valuable in crisis situations like active shooter scenarios, where police need to secure scenes before fire personnel can enter.
"If officers are already responding to a big call, tense situation, they've already got the police side of it. Why not give them the specialty tools that they might need, that, God forbid, we have an active shooter type situation?" Rader said. "They can start to administer some of the medical training until we can get the scene cleared for fire to show up."
Godsey said he agrees that the training creates stronger interdepartmental relationships while enhancing emergency response.
"I think it's creating a better bond between the two departments, and really helps that umbrella of public safety that we're trying to get started," Godsey said.
Tools and training
Ryle now carries a specialized medical kit in her patrol car containing airways, tourniquets, bandages, glucose monitors for diabetic emergencies, splints and even OB kits for emergency births.
"You never know when a baby's coming," Ryle told me with a laugh.
The EMT training involves two four-hour classes weekly, plus hands-on practice and ambulance ride-alongs.
"For me, it's going to be the difference in being able to do the glucose, like, the diabetic stuff, help them, or if you have a hemorrhage, massive bleed, we've got the equipment to help stop that," Ryle said.
How employees get involved
Ryle and the other two officers currently taking EMT classes are on track to graduate in December, with three more officers starting training in January. While some firefighters have also shown interest in police academy training, the process could be more complex.
"The logistics behind getting some of the firefighters sent to the training, to the police academy, it's a little bit longer of a process. It would take the firefighters off the road for 20 weeks, and then they've got to do 20 more weeks of field training," Rader said.
Godsey said a few fire and EMS personnel have expressed interest, and though he acknowledges the challenge of his team receiving police training, he believes cross-training would enhance both departments' capabilities.
"I think that gives them a better insight into what goes on. It's going to give them a better idea of doing some risk analysis as they come up on a scene, as far as is my scene safe and stuff like that," Godsey said.
The program remains entirely voluntary, with Fette emphasizing employee choice over requirements.
"I don't force people to do things. I want them to want to do it. And if they want to do it, then we are definitely going to help them get that training," she said.
Ryle hopes the program's success will attract additional volunteers from Erlanger's 44-officer force.
"I think people will change their minds once they see the success of it. More people will want to do it," she said.
'All eyes are on Erlanger'
Rader said he thinks other cities are watching Erlanger's experiment.
"I think right now, all eyes are on Erlanger to see how this goes. And I think if it is successful, I don't see how other cities couldn't, at least, inquire about how it's working and what would be needed for them to do that," Rader said.
Fette sees the program as a model for adapting to modern challenges in public service recruitment and retention.
"I think it's definitely an opportunity to set a different standard. I think we have to get creative. We have to be adaptable," Fette said.
The city is also building a combined training facility at a former public works building, allowing both departments to share resources and coordinate more effectively. The consolidated approach requires no additional funding — just creative reorganization and increased training dollars.
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