EMTs wanted: Do you have what it takes?

It’s August, and for Jacquie Rice, chief of service for the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Squad, that means it’s time to help a new generation of volunteers become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).

Rice has been teaching the EMT class for the past 12 years.  Round 13 begins Thursday, Aug. 26.

It is a seven-month course that prepares prospective EMTs to take certification tests. If they pass, they will have the lifesaving skills necessary to help their neighbors in need.

All six Northwest Corner towns (Salisbury, Sharon, Falls Village, North Canaan, Cornwall and Kent) have volunteer ambulance services. Most of them offer their services free of charge, although North Canaan pays EMTs for their day shifts and charges for their calls; Kent recently voted to start charging for ambulance service as of October 2010.

In an interview last week with The Lakeville Journal, Tom Alden, chief of service for the Sharon Fire Department Ambulance, talked about the challenges facing volunteer squads today — namely dwindling membership — the work involved and the rewards of being an EMT. Much of what he said is applicable to any of the area volunteer squads.

“A lot of people think they can’t do it because they’re squeamish about blood,� Alden said. “But the truth is, we start people slow. We suggest people join the squad and just help out around headquarters, get familiar with the people, lend a hand with lift assist, and generally observe.

“We never ask people to do something they’re not comfortable doing. We often start people as drivers and once they’ve been doing that for a while, they usually are eager to take the course and get their certification.

“At the beginning, most people fear they will be thrown into a situation they can’t handle,� Alden said. “But since there is such a wide variety of things to do, that will never happen. It will always be a team effort.�

The majority of the calls are medical, Alden noted.

“We are a geriatric community, we have a lot of calls to transport from, for example, Sharon Health Care Center to go across the street to the hospital. Sometimes our calls don’t even take an hour, from the time we leave headquarters to when we’re back in quarters.�

The average age of EMTs on the Sharon squad is over 40, but anyone over 18 years old is eligible. Alden said that when he was on a squad in New York, housewives were considered particularly valuable volunteers, and the squad recruited them heavily during membership drives. The reason? They were more likely to be available to go on calls during the day, when their children were at school.

In fact, it is the day shifts that squads have the most difficulty filling. Many squad members have day jobs they can’t leave. The North Canaan Ambulance hires outside EMTs to fill those day shifts (which is why they also charge for their services).

Alden feels very strongly about not charging patients.

“Sharon will never bill. If we ever considered it, we would lose members. I’m a volunteer, and I don’t get paid and this service should be available to everybody at no cost. When you’re in dire straits you shouldn’t have to stop and ask, can I afford it?� he said.

Instead, the squad is supported completely through fundraising efforts such as pancake breakfasts, special events and memorial donations.

In fact, a new ambulance — which was made possible through fundraisers and donations — just went into service in Sharon on Aug. 17. It cost a little more than $180,000, which is perhaps a good indication of how supportive the community is of the ambulance service.

The vehicle is being dedicated to Besty Hall, a longtime volunteer. She goes on a lot of calls — and many of the medical calls are for patients younger than she, Alden said.

Despite the occasional difficulty in having enough people to fill a shift, when it is a true emergency, volunteers rally and get themselves to the scene.

“We had an Echo call the other day, with a CPR in progress, and so many of our squad members showed up we had to shut the road down. This year we’ve had two CPR saves already and if you go back a year we’ve had three.�

This, Alden believes, is what makes being an EMT so worthwhile.

“To do the volunteer thing, if we’re called to someone’s home or business, it is often the worst day of their life. They look at us and smile and say thank you and that is the ultimate reward. Joining the squad gives you a real camaraderie, a second family.�

Registration for the EMT course being offered at Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance headquarters (and taught by Rice) is at 8 Undermountain Road on the first night of class, Thursday, Aug. 26, at 6 p.m. The ambulance garage is across the street from The White Hart.

EMT classes meet everyThursday, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The course runs from Aug. 26 to March 24. Call 860-435-9866 for more information. The cost of the course is $300, but several of the area squads will reimburse students if they join the squad after completing the class.

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