Ambulance company supports EMT students

The Schaefer Ambulance Service recently donated an ambulance to the Citrus College Emergency Medical Technician program that will help aid disasters on campus as well as give the students field scenarios in a classroom environment.

Professor and paramedic, Cliff Hadsell, Ph. D., who has been teaching more than 21 years, said that he is thrilled at the opportunity this gift will give to students.

"Now the college essentially has an ambulance ready to go," Hadsell said.  "This will give the students an opportunity to practice in a low stress environment before switching to a high stress environment."

Although the college received the fully operating ambulance in June, the proclamation award was officially accepted Oct. 14 at the board of trustees meeting by Greg Guthrie, training coordinator for Schaefer.

"Cliff has asked everyone at the meeting if we could get an ambulance donated and my boss went ahead and decided to go ahead and donate one," Guthrie said. "Schaefer donates one or two ambulances a year but it depends on how many there are available."

The ambulances donated are trucks no longer in service but are still functional and working, according to Guthrie.

The ambulance is being painted white and will feature the Citrus College logo.

The EMT program is not a typical class; everyone has to be self –motivated… it is extremely tough, Hadsell said.

Students receive a certificate at the end of the program and each student has a different reason for participating in the program.

While working her way to grad school to become a physician's assistant, EMT student Madeline Gougeon, 22, has already earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Cal State University, Fullerton.

"I got roped into it through my boyfriend, but I'm going through this program for the experience," Gougeon said.  "It is a really demanding program, but Cliff is awesome.  It was always a goal of mine to be in an EMT program."

Seeking a new profession, EMT student James Crowell is hoping to use his experience to prepare for a nursing program.

"So far the program has been great, very enjoyable," Crowell said.  "The ambulance truck will get us more familiar."

Students are required to participate in 60 hours of ride-alongs, and having the truck will allow the students to become familiarized before stepping into a job.

"Students can go into jobs right after they finish the program because there are jobs available for them," Hadsell said.

Typical employers of EMTs include fire departments, hospitals and health care facilities.

The National Registry of EMTs as well as the L.A. County Department of Health Services has approved the EMT program at Citrus College.

The school has also invested more than a million dollars in MEDI manikins, SIMS 3G technologies and 12 lead EKG machine defibrillators, all of which give students real life experience.

Out of the 21 EMT programs, the Citrus College EMT program is the only training center for EMT and tactical medicine for L.A. County agents.  It is also the only program allowed to intern at the busiest trauma center, St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood.

The other clinical sites the EMT students use are Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus in West Covina and Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora.

For more information about the EMT program, check out the www.citruscollege.edu/academics/programs/emt.