Forsyth County Emergency Medical Services invited North Forsyth High School health science students on a tour of an ambulance during a visit on Monday afternoon.
The county’s EMS team is a persistent partner for North Forsyth, supplying many of the real medical devices that students use in classrooms. However, it’s still not everyday that students get to work with emergency responders who are active in the field, much less on a real ambulance. North Forsyth Teacher and HOSA Advisor Tonya Scott said that such experiences are important for giving potential recruits a clearer sense of what it takes to do some of the most vital jobs in the public sector.
“It gives them a good feel for what it’s like to be a part of EMS,” Scott said. “Reading about it in a book or talking about it in class isn’t the same.”
Representatives from EMS welcomed students on board their ambulance and showed off a few of the machines they have to work with on their calls. They also provided information about the Fire and EMS Exploring program, which allows young people aged 14-20 to work with professionals in their fields of interest, go on ride-alongs, and practice key skills like first aid and CPR. Students at North Forsyth can have costs covered to participate in the program, and it can expand their understanding of their future careers even further.
“Seeing how hard or easy it is to do something can be more effective when you see it in person,” Paramedic Zoe Webster said. “It makes things a lot less scary later on.”
Students who want to save lives as a career can benefit a lot from opportunities like these at a magnet school. AMT David Gilbert said he would have appreciated having a touch-a-truck style event like this when he was in high school, and he’s glad that North Forsyth gave him the chance to provide that opportunity to the next generation of emergency responders.
“When I was in school, we had our clinicals, but nobody ever brought a truck out for us like this,” Gilbert said. “Getting to do this part is actually really cool.”