Student Ambulance Volunteers On Call for Emergencies First Responders Juggle School Work with Commitment to Local Community

Author: Kelsey Rinehart

When the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association (MVAA) receives a call, those volunteers who are on call leap into action, wherever or whenever it may be. On any given day, chances are that at least one Middlebury College student will respond to the call as part of the MVAA team. Ten students currently volunteer with the MVAA and commit a certain number of hours each month to being on call.

The MVAA has offered pre-hospital emergency care to the communities of Middlebury, East Middlebury, Bridgeport, Shoreham, Orwell, Ripton, Salisbury, Cornwall, Weybridge, Whiting and New Haven for over 30 years. It responds to over 1,200 calls a year. Volunteers are required to dedicate at least 20 hours of on-call time each month and attend monthly meetings and training sessions. MVAA volunteers are community members of all ages and backgrounds.

Britton Keeshan '04.5 joined fellow Middlebury area residents as an MVAA volunteer during his second semester at Middlebury. This, Keeshan said, "was one of the best decisions of my college career." He explained, "Not only is the ambulance a great way to get experience in the medical field, but it is also an incredible means of getting involved with the community. It's a sad clichÈ, but many students here, I believe, rarely have the chance to experience life in Vermont beyond Middlebury College's borders."

Keeshan also noted that volunteering with the MVAA allows students the opportunity to show the area residents who they really are. This real-life interaction helps to counteract a negative view of the College, Keeshan says, by "helping to turn the misconception [about Middlebury students] around."

Keeshan does, however, acknowledge the price of volunteering. "Obviously, the whole endeavor is taxing on schoolwork and friendships. It's not easy to be too tired to go out on a Friday or Saturday night because you were up the night before taking care of a patient or transporting them to Burlington," he said. "But overall," he affirmed, "people, including professors, are more than understanding, and the pros far outweigh the cons."

Andrew Hale '06 would second that statement. Hale joined MVAA this September. "The MVAA crew definitely gets away from the college community bubble - there are lots of 'real' Vermonters there, all of whom are good people," he commented.

Hale is on call on Friday nights and weekdays, "when I can sneak it in." Since starting with the MVAA, Hale has spent the hours between Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m. every week doing homework, hanging out and waiting for calls. "I've gotten three calls in a night and I've gotten none, so a good night sleep is always a question mark," he said. "When the radios go off, everyone means business, no matter what time of the night it is."

Hale and other volunteers are certified in one of four levels, from the First Responder Course (a course in basic pre-hospital care) to Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic to EMT-Intermediate to EMT-Paramedic (the highest level of pre-hospital certification available). Most MVAA volunteers are at the EMT-B or EMT-I levels, and a few are completing Paramedic training.

All members of an ambulance crew perform distinct roles in an emergency situation. The driver is responsible for driving the vehicle and making sure it is ready for the next call after it returns to the station.

Attendants, who must have EMT-B certification, conduct patient assessment and give medical care. The Crew Chief, who is in charge of the call, is responsible for the safety of the crew. The Chief must be certified at the EMT-I level or above. The crew must consist of a minimum of two people, including an EMT-I and an EMT.

The MVAA owns three fully equipped ambulances and a heavy rescue truck, which is used for vehicle extrication and other special rescue procedures.

Some MVAA members also choose to become part of the heavy rescue team.

These volunteers receive training in "vehicle extrication, farm rescue, water and ice rescue and low-angle rope rescue," according to the MVAA Web site. Heavy rescuers are familiar with tools such as the "jaws-of-life" and other hydraulic instruments.

In the past, MVAA members have been recognized by the community and the state of Vermont for their commitment. In April, at the 15th Annual Emergency Medical Services Conference in Burlington, Ronnie Sunderland from the MVAA was recognized as "2003 EMT-Intermediate of the Year."

Sunderland has been heavily involved with training new EMTs, has been an active member of the MVAA for over 10 years and acted as driver or crew chief in response to 263 emergency calls in 2002.

"I would say that working for MVAA has added an element of responsibility to my life that is really steadying," Hale said. "It just feels really great to go back to bed after coming back from a needy call in the middle of the night."

Keeshan remarked of his experience with MVAA, "I have been able to meet so many different members of the community. I think the most memorable part of this whole process has been just that. It's a truly great feeling to be on a first name basis with not only police, fire crews and hospital employees, but also people in town who [might] walk up and thank you in the humblest of ways for helping their son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister or even close friend."