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Volume CXXXI, Number 24 |
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17 students receive EMT certification
ANN SMITH
CONTRIBUTOR
This past Thursday marked the culmination of a 3-month EMT
training process for 17 Bowdoin students. Hosted by the Bowdoin College
EMS (BCEMS) club, the students went through 120 hours of rigorous EMT-Basic
training provided by the Portland Fire Department Paramedics. For those
seeking to become an emergency medical responder, the Basic level is the
first of three levels (EMT-Intermediate and Paramedic being the other
two) that must be accomplished.
The students who successfully participated in this training
are now members of the National Registry, which qualifies them to work
as Basic EMTs in 40 states throughout the U.S.
Furthermore, the students are now able to use their new
certification for jobs, which require work with an ambulance, lifeguarding,
or outdoor trip leaders. The class also provided hands on experience as
students accompanied the Brunswick Fire and Rescue team on daily night
rides.
"Currently we're exploring ways that these trained
students can utilize their new skills. Whether this is through a campus
response group, much like Bates and Colby have, or through a volunteer
arrangement with Brunswick Fire remains to be seen," said Andrew
Rusczek.
The BCEMS club also hopes that this training will benefit
faculty, staff, and students in continuing emergency treatment and education
in the future.
"We see these courses as beneficial to the college
community in a number of ways," commented Todd Williams '04. "First,
they provide unique and practical hands-on experience to pre-med students
who may be thinking of jobs in medicine later on. Second, they increase
the number of medically trained students on campus able to assist in emergencies.
Finally, through these classes we are trying to foster a working relationship
between the College and Brunswick Fire and Rescue who traditionally only
have contact with students during alcohol poisonings or burnt popcorn
fire alarms."
Currently, the BCEMS club is exploring new ways to provide
more cost efficient and accessible training to a greater population of
students for next year.
"We were astounded at the amount of interest in the
class originally. Once people realized that the course was going to cost
$480, however, and was on Thursdays and Saturdays, the number dropped
considerably. Next year we would like to be able to offer some sort of
financial assistance to people interested in taking these courses, as
well as offer them on different days."
Next year, in addition to another EMT-Basic course in the
Spring, BCEMS plans to offer CPR training as well as instruction in using
an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
The College recently had an AED donated by the family of James Brosnan, the custodian who died of a heart attack earlier in the year. BCEMS hopes to emphasize the importance of learning how to use devices such as an AED for the future safety of the College.