Spots still available for volunteers to fill January EMT class

Enthusiastic, willing volunteers eager to truly help people are needed to fill a face-to-face NICC EMT Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so a Waukon-based class is a convenience. Registration for the class must be completed prior to orientation night on Jan. 8, 2024. The 138-hour course will conclude in May. 

The class will meet Mondays and Wednesdays each week from 6 to 10 p.m., and clinicals will be held in person. Students who successfully complete this class and the certification examination will be able to volunteer on their own community’s ambulance service or rescue squad, as well as be prepared for careers in emergency services. 

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in the area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMT’s have retired. The Driftless Region is fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Drake Tilson of Waukon is a newer EMT with Veterans Memorial Hospital Service. 

“I read this quote years ago and it really resonated with me,” said Tilson. “To this day I have no idea who said this, but I find myself using it frequently to articulate why I got into EMS, and why I continue to work in EMS. ‘You’re going to be there when a lot of people are born, and when a lot of people die. In most every culture, such moments are regarded as sacred and private, made special by a divine presence. No one on Earth would be welcomed, but you’re personally invited. What an honor that is.’”

The EMT class prepares the students to provide pre-hospital assessment and care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation.

For more information, contact paramedic/EMS Manager Jacob Dougherty or paramedic/class instructor Cheryl Livingston at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411. 

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