LEARNING TO BE THE BEST

Winning awards like Harpur’s Ferry does comes with dedication, and the intensive training volunteers undergo is probably a big part of it. Just to drive a rig, a candidate must complete a minimum of 10 hours of special training, pass a three-hour test and respond to practice calls. New York State requires only that ambulance drivers have a regular driver’s license.

This school year, the crew took in 35 new members out of a pool of about 200 applicants. According to Darran Handshaw, the squad’s chief, it was the largest recruitment in their history. “We train more people than any other agency in the county,” he said.

Noah Ginsberg, a freshman who joined the squad this year, had no experience with emergency medical care before starting training. Ginsberg has begun learning in the Advanced First Aid Emergency Care class (AFAEC), a one-semester course taught by Ferry volunteers. Students learn CPR, learn how to take vital signs and other basic skills and prepare to take the Emergency Medical Technician training program.

Ginsberg recently completed a BSI (body substance isolation) lab for the class. “We learned how to take off gloves without letting fluids get on ourselves,” he said. The gloves were covered in ketchup. Ginsberg said he had no apprehensions about continuing with his training.

After AFAEC, students like Ginsberg who stay on will receive training from Broome County instructors. For one semester they’ll learn Basic Life Support (BLS) skills, including the “ABCs” of pre-hospital emergency care — checking for airways, breathing and circulation. In the end, they’ll earn the certification of EMT-Basic.

Afterward they have the option of remaining a BLS provider or continuing another year of training to gain Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification. ALS skills include the ability to use advanced medications (like pain control) and defibrillation. ALS certification brings with it a new title: paramedic.