Facing Trainer Shortage, Beecher Schools to Use Paramedics for Athletic Coverage

Beecher Board of Education Regular Board Meeting | October 8, 2025

Article Summary: In response to a shortage of available athletic trainers, the Beecher School District will partner with the Beecher Fire Department to have off-duty paramedics provide medical coverage at sporting events. The Board of Education approved an updated athletic trainer job description to facilitate the arrangement, ensuring student-athletes have professional medical support.

Athletic Coverage Plan Key Points:

• Challenge: The district has been unable to fill its athletic trainer position after the previous trainer took a new job.

• Solution: The district will contract with the Beecher Fire Department to hire off-duty, EMT-trained personnel to cover games.

• Action: The Board of Education approved an updated job description for the athletic trainer role to allow for this partnership.

The Beecher Board of Education on Tuesday, October 8, 2025, approved a creative solution to a persistent staffing challenge by authorizing a partnership with the local fire department to provide medical coverage at athletic events.

After the district’s athletic trainer recently left for another job, Athletic Director Mr. DeMey has been unable to find a replacement, a problem the district has faced in the past. To ensure student-athletes are protected, Superintendent Dr. Jack Gaham developed a plan with the Beecher Fire Department. The arrangement allows the district to hire off-duty paramedics and EMTs to be on-site during games.

“We’re not pulling anybody off the fire department. It’s going to be off-duty people,” Dr. Gaham explained. “It all depends on who happens to be available that night… an EMT-trained person will be here.”

The board formally approved an updated job description for the athletic trainer position to accommodate this new arrangement. The move was praised as a proactive step to resolve a difficult hiring situation that affects many school districts. Gaham noted that the previous solution involved a staff member, Shane, stepping into the role when no one else could be found. He also commended the fire chief for being instrumental in creating the partnership.