The EMS training or involvement in the fire company doesn’t end at
the end of the semester. More than half of the students are now
Christiana Fire Company volunteers, involved in its field training
program and pursuing EMS certification from the National Registry of
Emergency Medical Technicians. Christiana also integrated non-UD
students into the course — existing fire company volunteers, who wanted
to take EMS training. This approach allowed Smith and Skis to better
integrate UD students into the fire company and make them a part of the
close-knit community.
“I told people we need to stop referring to them simply as ‘the UD
students.’ They are a part of our fire company now,” said Smith.
Joining the fire company also gives these Blue Hens other
opportunities. As one of the busier fire companies in Delaware,
Christiana Fire Company regularly interacts with medical directors and
hospital staff from around the state — all important contacts for
up-and-coming medical professionals.
Calm under pressure
Hayes of Dover, Delaware, is one the UD students
now volunteering at the fire company. The St. Thomas More High Academy
graduate was recently commended by Daniel Sutton, a career firefighter
and EMT, for her work at the scene of a car crash.
During an entrapment on I-95, Hayes
darted into the back seat of a vehicle attempting to maintain manual
C-spine stabilization of a patient, who was belligerent and
non-cooperative. She did her best to control and protect the patient
while Sutton facilitated a partial roof removal.
“Having never been inside of a working extrication and having no
prior exposure to such incidents, she performed very well, maintaining
her professional composure throughout the incident,” Sutton said. “She
continuously engaged her patient while in the vehicle, demonstrating
exceptional skill and poise during the extrication.”
“You have to continually talk to your patient while monitoring pulse,
motor, and sensory function,” Hayes said. “We’re there to keep them
physically safe and emotionally stable.”
Hayes, who is also
working on a minor in medical diagnostics, said she is drawn to helping
people in emergency situations. She hopes to one day become a trauma
surgeon.
Plans for additional courses
After the initial success, UD will offer two courses over Winter
Session — one with Christiana Fire Company and the other through Aetna Hose Hook & Ladder Company in Newark. The plan is to offer courses again in the summer of 2018.
“In a condensed semester, the winter will be intense,” Skis said. “We
want students to be aware of that going in. But the impact they can
have is absolutely worth it.”
Article by Dante LaPenta; photos by Evan Krape
