As the saying goes: not all heroes wear capes. Many of our greatest heroes are those who work day in and day out for the safety and well being of others, and some of these heroes are currently walking our halls. Throughout the school, some students are already certified or in the process of becoming certified Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs.

Senior Kaley Murday has been a state-certified EMT since August of 2016, and she sheds light on the process of training to become certified.

“Training classes run 12 hours a week for three months, which include tests and practical applications,” Murday said. “But a lot of the training comes from lectures and studying outside of class.”

EMT trainees have to complete ten clinical hours in a hospital and then pass a final exam to become state-certified. But once certified, what exactly does a day in the life of an EMT look like? Senior Stephanie Wickmam, also a certified EMT since August of 2016, shed light on the role.

“From East Millstone First Aid Squad, we receive calls with the information of someone who is sick or injured and needs emergency care,” Wickman said. “The main goal is to try to get everything done and get the patient to the hospital as fast as you can.”

For these young EMTs, all of the hard work and long hours put into the job is no casual hobby; it’s all part of both physical and mental preparation for achieving later goals. In the future, Murday plans to continue her medical endeavors as a pediatric neurosurgeon and conduct research on mental illnesses, and Wickman is headed on the path toward eventually becoming a physician assistant.

Senior Jillian Boose has also dedicated the time to becoming an EMT. Boose is still in the process of training, but since the beginning of August of 2017, she has been riding with the East Millstone First Aid Squad as a cadet: a trainee able to ride in the ambulance on calls but is not fully trained to medically help patients.

Apart from the technical, medical, and hands-on aspects, the real attraction for most EMTs lies in the humanistic and moral value of the job.

“Aside from the thrill of making quick decisions, I am drawn to volunteering as an EMT because it leaves me with a sense of pride in knowing that each day, I’m helping someone I previously did not know,” Boose said. “Though I most likely will not get to speak to my patients after the call has finished, it feels good to build a connection by talking to them on the ambulance ride.”