Support your local EMTs

Many things have changed about the Clarion Ambulance Service over the years. Denise Eekhoff, an EMT (emergency medical technician) in Clarion for 12 years, said equipment and trucks have been updated, and they built a new ambulance shed in 2010. One thing will never change, however: the team’s desire to be there when the community needs it most.

Jacci Skogerboe, an EMT in Clarion for about six years, said she became an EMT because of 9/11. She started volunteering with the Red Cross and was looking for other ways to help in emergencies. “I saw this ambulance one day, and I saw they were doing CPR in the back,” she said. She went online, found a certification class, and signed up.

Tom Frantz, an EMT for two years, said that when it gets busy, EMTs who aren’t on call will still show up to help with emergencies. “Our pagers are always on,” he said.

Most EMTs sign up for hours around their regular jobs, though some have the flexibility to leave work during the day to go on calls. Still, some hours are harder to cover than others. Clarion’s EMTs have to collaborate and communicate to make sure every hour is covered.

For the full story, see the April 14 edition of the Monitor.