BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The police officer assigned to protect Martin County students is now also trained to provide emergency medical care.

Nathan Todd, a school resource officer for Martin County Schools and a firefighter with the Inez Volunteer Fire Department, recently passed the National Registry examination for emergency medical technicians.

Fellow firefighters Seth Patrick and Ethan Pack also passed the exam.

The certifications give the fire department three additional responders who can assess patients and provide basic emergency treatment during medical calls, wrecks, fires and other emergencies.

For Todd, the training also carries into the school day. He could be among the first people able to provide care if a student or staff member becomes seriously ill or injured.

Todd has served in law enforcement since graduating from high school. He is a graduate of the West Virginia State Police Academy and previously worked for the South Charleston Police Department, the Boyd County Sheriff’s Department and the Prestonsburg Police Department.

He returned to Martin County last year to serve as a school resource officer, following his father, former deputy sheriff and current Martin County Coroner Chris Todd, into public service.

“It’s wonderful for me, as Nathan’s father, to have my son back home,” Chris Todd said. “He has earned the respect of many he has served with through the years and is a dedicated officer who now serves and protects our county’s most precious resources, those being our children.”

Fire department officials said the three men spent six months studying and preparing for the national examination.