EMS Cadets/Explorers?

[EMS_Cadet]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post. Here's a little background on me. I'm a 14 year old EMS Cadet at my local station. I just started about 3 months ago and have already been on ride alongs. I guess I'm posting because I want to know a little more about the different types of EMS cadets and how they do different things at different stations etc. I would just like you to post general information on your program and a little background on it as well. I'm sorry if this sounds like a lot.

Thanks.

[Richard B the EMT]

Good luck with your quest, "Grasshopper."

[jafo]

Welcome Cadet!

We have no Cadet program in our department, however I think it's a great idea and I applaud you for your commitment. Please share with us how your program works, what you are permitted to do, and what your are not permitted to do. How does your training work? What level of care does your group provide. This strikes me as a very cool thing, and I'd like to know more (do you have a web page?).

Perhaps we could get something like that going in our town.

Welcome to EMS. Take your time, breath deep, and plow ahead.

Jafo

[tunnelrat83]

Hey welcome.. we as well do not have a cadet program at my department.. but would support it if there was one because it is a great way to learn responsibility and how to give back to the community... good luck with it.. and sorry i couldn't give more info about other cadet.explorer programs

[buddha]

We have an explorer program at our agency that is now about 5 years old and working fairly well. We affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America to establish an explorer program in NY State. The benefits of this were help with recruiting, and the excellent insurance coverage provided by BSA. We take kids 16 and older who have an interest in the medical field. Explorers may ride from 0600-midnite once they have completed HIPAA and BBP training. New York allows First Responder certification at 16, and EMT at 18. Our explorers are allowed to practice up to their level, but only in the presence of a member (explorers do not run by themselves). We offer scholarships to active explorers who meet duty requirements and are schooling in a healthcare related field.

The intent was to mold these youngsters and keep them as members when they matured, but there is a problem for us. The minimum age for membership here is 21, so most of our explorers turn 18 and leave to join a rescue squad. We have so far been unsuccessful in attempts to lower the membership requirement to 18.

There is an ambulance service in VT or NH that is actually run by high school kids, but I cannot remember the name. There was recently an article in JEMS about their service. Maybe someone here knows of them.

[EMS_Cadet]

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for all your posts. I'll give some background on my Cadet program and move on from there. It's for high school kids ages 14-18. I always wanted to go into emergency medicine at a young age. Now I'm getting to experience some of that before I graduate from high school. We have about 10 cadets and every time I go to a meeting we have a new member. Before any cadet can get on the truck you have to get: healthcare provider level CPR training, BBP training, HIPAA training and equipment training. We have learned the use of both BLS and ALS equipment(I.V set ups, EKG placement). We do regular training sessions. I've learned a lot through this program. Really they didn't find me, I found them. We are getting ready to elect officers soon! I don't know about us getting first responder or EMT certified. We are only allowed to ride with an adviser. If for some reason the adviser would find someone else to ride with the Cadet. We have about the same hours as the NY explorer program. I'm going back next week to ride along for my second time. If anyone has any questions, comments please post or private message me.

(Funny note: The first time I signed up to ride along I sat there from 7:30am till 11:00pm. The first call of the day for my truck came in at 10:00pm.)

Thanks.

[noahmedic]

7-10 am with no calls? Why do I have to work in a "high-performance", 'system status management" system! WHY!

(Funny note: The first time I signed up to ride along I sat there from 7:30am till 11:00pm. The first call of the day for my truck came in at 10:00pm.)

[EMS_Cadet]

7:00AM-10:00PM NO CALLS...That's 13 hours with NO calls.

[emt630]

Hello,

I was also a Rescue Cadet for many years! I started when I was 15 yrs. old, I'm now 22 yrs. and still enjoying rescue more than ever!

Send me a message, and we'll chat. (I was also envoled in a explorer program w/ a level one trauma center)

Hope to hear from ya!

~emt630 8)

[p150]

hello, we have an explorer program, just recently our Director made a new rule that EMS explorer have to be 16 years old before they are allowed to ride on the ambulance