EMT
class prepares students for career and life
VANESSA FIERSTADT
VANESSA FIERSTADT
YHS Emergency Medical Technician teacher Tony Misner, left, shows students
Cassy Richards and Nathan McLachlin how to use emergency equipment.
Students leave the class with employable skills, as well as citizenship
skills and their first step toward several career opportunities.
Saving
the lives of people and being aware of how the human body works is a
skill everyone should have, according to Tony Misner, who teaches an
emergency medical technician class, also known as EMT, at YHS.
Misner says “everyone should have some first aid and CPR training.”
Misner, who has been a certified EMT for 24 years, also stated “the
administration has been very supportive of my class, but also vocational
education as a whole, making us a very unique district. Where others
are cutting vocational programs, we are expanding them,” he said.
The EMT high school class at YHS is a yearlong program. Students must
be enrolled in two periods, which occur fourth and fifth this year.
Not only is it a life learning experience, but also if students meet
all requirements they too can become certified EMTs. For this program,
the requirements consist of being 18 years of age, completing and passing
the class with 80 percent or better, as well as passing all the skills
tests (which include patient assessment, splinting, and more).
To become certified the students must have a minimum of 12 hours of
observation time. This includes a ride along with Sierra Ambulance Service
in the mountain area or American Ambulance in Fresno. Each ride along
is a 12 hours shift. Attire includes black slacks, button collar shirt
(such as a white or blue polo) and sturdy shoes. No jeans, halter-tops,
piercings, or tattoos are allowed, and if so they must be covered.
The students are also given written and skilled tests and some years
a term paper may be required.
Misner predicts that out of this year's class approximately five will
become certified. Misner also stated that those who will not become
certified will walk away with knowledge. This class is more than the
teaching of how to be an emergency medical technician, but the reality
of real life, he explains.
Since the class this year primarily consists of seniors, they are able
to talk about more mature topics, Misner added. “It's very open,
they ask questions about life, and I help answer them.”
Misner says he has enjoyed the medical field all his life. When asked
what was the hardest thing about teaching EMT, Misner said “Teaching
students with senioritis stinks second semester, they are all focused
on graduating in June, it's hard to teach with that level of concentration.”
As Misner explained what the EMT program was all about, one could see
that his students were really interested in what they were learning,
and that they wanted to be a part of all the activities that class has
to offer
From this course Misner pinpointed a few good outlooks for his students:
EMT will be a great job during their college career, students will leave
the class with employable skills, as well as citizen skills, and for
others this is their first step to becoming a nurse, firefighter or
surgeon.
This class provides a wide range of life long skills, and helps point
each and every student in the right direction, the teacher believes.
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