When/why did you first become interested in working in the EMS field?
I first became interested in working in EMS through an interest in joining my local fire department. In 2017 I was hired as a paid-on-call firefighter for the City of Mendota Heights. At that time, I was frankly quite nervous about responding to medical calls as I was not sure how I would be able to handle situations with patients who were injured, in pain, or very ill. However, I learned quickly that medical calls are some of our most rewarding responses because of the impact we can have.
Tell us about your experience in the EMS field. What jobs have you had?
As a firefighter I practice as an EMR, and the medical calls we respond to are in order to provide the first response, or to help out the ambulance crew of EMTs and Paramedics who are already on scene. Being able to provide life support and first aid when first on scene has been rewarding, challenging and even exciting. Getting to see EMTs and Paramedics at work, learn from them and help them is fascinating, and is the reason I decided to get my EMT training. I wanted to better understand emergency medicine so that I could be a better resource to them as a firefighter EMR.
What is the most rewarding part about working in EMS?
Being able to just be there for someone on a really bad day by providing the help they need to stabilize their situation, and hopefully mitigate whatever has happened to them. Bad things happen to people all over the world every day. It’s good to know that I’m doing what I can to help, even on a small scale.
What excites you the most about joining the Allied Medical Training team?
I’ve admired AMT as a company since I took my EMR training in 2018, and that feeling was confirmed during the EMT skill week I attended in 2021. It’s obvious from your first contact with the company that Sean, the management team, and all the trainers care deeply about building solid skills in practitioners who then will contribute to the well-being of their communities through practicing emergency medicine. I found the student experience to be stellar and I’m so thrilled to be able to help carry this experience forward to more students in the future.
If you could give advice to someone looking to become an EMT, what would you tell them?
Nothing worth doing is easy. Study hard, be disciplined with your time and energy, and embrace the joy inherent in learning new things. Talk kindly to yourself and celebrate every win. Give yourself a pat on the back for every quiz passed, every new topic and skill that you learn. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. We all start out as novices and asking questions is how we learn.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
To give every person the confidence, ability and resources to achieve the best version of themselves.
