FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va. — A newly-implemented program is giving high school students the opportunity to become certified EMTs.
Fluvanna Review reported that Fluvanna County High School’s EMT program allows students to train to become EMTs before they graduate high school.
“As we see a sharp decline in volunteer firefighters and EMS providers across the country (Fluvanna County being no different), it is essential for us to recruit new members while they are young adults,” Kents Store Volunteer Fire Department Chief Andrew Pullen said. “Not only does this provide for a line of succession in our local volunteer agencies, but this training could prepare them for a rewarding career.”
The program currently consists of two classes of 17 students taught by Stephanie Corbin.
“I’m a big advocate for the importance of getting people hooked at a really young age,” Corbin said. “They’ll stick around and hopefully volunteer in the community – this area is struggling to get volunteers – before they get full-time jobs as an EMT.”
Kents Store Volunteer Rescue Squad member Gloria Vest helped donate equipment to the program. The students currently have a stretcher, two extrication devices, and airway and trauma treatment supplies.
The students plan to move onto clinical training in the next month, and will be able to take the EMT test in December.
Pullen hopes the class will be the start of young volunteers coming into the department.
“We have an active junior firefighter-EMT program in Kents Store with six members and are always recruiting more,” Pullen said.