By CONOR CURRY
In his Emergency Medical Technicians class, senior Austin Fields is learning to save lives.
Fields is becoming EMT certified at the Central Florida Fire Academy near Oak Ridge in a tech program. he spends periods 1-4 at the academy and then comes to school. This class lasts for one full school year and is basically a part-time job because of how much time is required
An Emergency Medical Technician is an individual who is trained to respond to emergency situations and perform lifesaving techniques until a patient can be transported to a hospital or treatment facility. EMTs are also responsible for the safe transfer of patients, via ambulance, from the scene of an accident or sudden illness to the closest medical facility.
“I want to pursue a career in the fire or medical field because of the impact it has on the community, people would depend on me,” Fields said.
To pursue a career in firefighting, one must first become a certified medical technician. In the future, Fields plans on fighting fires professionally, or working on an ambulance taking calls. Since the beginning of the school year, Fields rides along in ambulances and assists with CPR and other standard medical procedures, such as applying IV’s.
Fields, and the ambulance drivers he works with, regularly take calls to severe accidents, such as highway car crashes. His team also assists with calls like heart attack and cardiac arrest victims. According to Fields, the most gruesome patient he has seen was injured in a motorcycle crash, and had skin ripped off his face.
“I feel pretty good to know I’m helping people. I think it’s a good experience,” Fields said.
