Emily Telesco, Features Editor
@etelescocourant
Featured image Contributed by New Canaan EMS
While most students may spend their Wednesday evenings completing their homework, going to a sports practice, or spending time with family, Senior Maxie Mirin checks in to her 12 hour shift at New Canaan EMS. As an EMT, she prepares to spend the entire night responding to medical emergencies in the area. EMTs, or emergency medical technicians, have the skills necessary to care for patients at the scene of an incident as well as in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Beginning in sophomore or junior year, many students interested in medicine or public service are able to start training as an EMT. EMT courses can be taken in various places in Connecticut, from New Canaan to Greenwich. The classes themselves can be very demanding and time consuming. “In total, the class is 350 hours, so I had class Monday to Wednesday from 6:30-9:30 and then Saturdays from 9-4,” Maxie said. “We also had quizzes and tests every week.”
Junior Morgan Pitts began an EMT course this fall, where her classes consist of both zoom and in-person lessons. “A typical zoom class involves a slideshow that the instructors go over that’s based on our homework, so we can review what we’ve learned and ask questions if we need to. The classes on Saturdays are usually just for practical skills, where we learn hands-on techniques such as CPR training,” she said. To become an EMT after completing the classes, students must take both a state and national test.
Junior Serra Savasoglu started working as an EMT at New Canaan EMS this year. “I decided to become an EMT because I’ve always wanted to be a doctor when I was older, so it seemed like a nice first step to take to see if I actually liked the field,” she said.
Usually, shifts at New Canaan EMS are 12 hours, and consist of waiting for calls and responding to them. “Before waiting for calls, we make sure to check out the ambulance,” Serra said. “We don’t sit around all night though, as there are bedrooms and we are able to sleep. But, sometimes you don’t get any sleep because there’s so many calls.”
Senior Eddie Harrison also works as an EMT as New Canaan EMS. “I decided to become an EMT because my mom took the class too and she loved it, which then inspired me to take it,” he said.
Eddie works shifts on Thursday nights. “A typical shift is going to be 12 hours, from 6pm to 6am, or from 6am to 6pm,” he said. “We respond to anyone who calls 911 and needs medical attention, or to any police requesting a medical evaluation at a scene.”
Long shifts can often make it more difficult to complete schoolwork, so student EMTs have to prepare beforehand. “In the couple of hours after school I try to finish any super important work,” Maxie said. “I also try to get as much work done as I can at headquarters when we’re not on calls. If we have a big test or anything the next day, we can usually switch shifts or not ride our normal shifts.”
Similarly, Eddie makes sure to do as much work as he can before his shift. “I try to do a lot of my work on Wednesday so I don’t have to think about it on Thursday, or I’ll just do it during a free period,” he said, “It’s tough if you have a lot of tests the day after, but, at least for me, schoolwork is not hard to maintain.”
Not only can long shifts be very time consuming, but the job itself is also mentally and physically demanding. However, EMS offers many support systems that can help the EMTs cope with difficult calls. “Any time I’ve had a really hard call and lost a patient, multiple people reach out to me, and we always debrief as a crew and talk about what happened – what we did well, why that happened, things like that,” Maxie said. “They understand that we’re young, so it’s overall a really great community to be a part of.”
Additionally, working as an EMT equips students with important skills that can prove beneficial in future endeavors. Morgan, who is in EMT training, has definitely experienced those benefits. “It’s helped me with time management, because I’ve had to adopt strategies to juggle my schoolwork, EMT work, and extracurriculars,” she said. “The assessments have also helped me to stay focused under pressure, which is beneficial for the future because I can approach stressful situations calmly.”
Eddie finds that being an EMT helps a lot with stress management. “It definitely helps me with managing high-pressure situations and being able to keep my level-headedness,” he said.
Maxie, who wants to pursue a career in nursing, finds being an EMT segways nicely into that. “With patient contact and real situations I think it’s definitely a very unique experience compared to other high schoolers,” she said. “It’s taught me a lot of maturity, and we work with adults, so it’s good for building those connections.”
Though it can be nerve-wracking, the job also comes with a lot of excitement and anticipation. ”I really enjoy the mystery of it all. You really never know what you’re going to get, and even though a call might look like a certain situation, sometimes it’s completely different from what you’re expecting,” Eddie said. “That has always excited me and made me want to keep coming back and keep riding with New Canaan EMS.”
Even with long shifts and intense work, serving the community as an EMT can be an extremely fulfilling experience. “My favorite part of the job is helping people,” Serra said. “You often see people in the worst moments of their lives, so it feels good to know you did your best to help them.”
