EMS Cadets/Explorers?

[EMT857]

Hello,

In my squad we have a cadet program for ages 16-21(even though most either become EMT and move on to the regular squad or leave by 18 after H.S.) . I was a cadet for a year and a half and had a great experience. After a year I decided to take the EMT-B course and just joined the regular squad a few weeks ago. As a cadet one could do as much as training allows(not allowed to exceed training), minimum is a basic first aid and advanced cpr(AHA or ARC).

[Arff312]

Well i am an explorer advisor for a neighboring FD. Our explorers can ride 0900-2100. they are allowed to ride with any of the 5 stations. depending on training and experience determines what they can do. We have 3 explorers who are emt's. they are allowed to practice within their scope as long as its OK with the medic. as far as fire go they can fight grass fire with a firefighter with them, and defensive on structures. they can not go interior. any other questions let me know.

[rayster]

I'm 15 years old and interested in being a paramedic when I'm older. My city's EMS has a "Medvent" (medical venturers) program for youths ages 14 to 25. I'm not part of it (yet) I'm signing up this September, should be interesting. Toronto EMS operates the program in partnership with scouts Canada. I guess it's main use is recruitment... its supposed to expose high school youth to the career opportunities in EMS through "hands on" learning. The program has three levels to it (basic medvent, intermediate medvent, and advanced medvent) the levels are usually achieved over three years. For the basic level you are taught standard first aid and CPR and get 24 hours of community service (we need 40 to graduate from high school) and the intermediate level includes wilderness first aid and CPR + an additional 48 hours of community service. The advanced level medvent puts you in the first responder program, allows you to do 2 ride alongs, and gives you an additional 96 hours of community service. If you started the program at 14 years old, you wouldn't get to the advanced level until you were 17 or 18. The group (25 people or so) meets once a week, alternating between EMS training and scouting. The community service hours are gained through assisting at EMS events, charities, displays at malls, parades, and fairs...things like that. The program uses courses from TEMS first aid, Saint John's Ambulance, and the Red Cross to teach the kids involved. Well, this is what I'm getting myself into for the next three years...

[Timmy]

I’m a cadet leader in St John Ambulance. Its for kids ages 11 to 18 who want to learn first aid and have fun. Our programs involve:

-Learning first aid

-They do courses in oxygen, defib, asthma, airway management, spinal management but you must be 16 to do this.

-We do weekly training with the last night of every month a social/fun night.

Most of the time we just play around with the stretchers or 02.

-All courses they complete successfully, they get issued with certificates which they

can put on there resume or CV.

-Once they complete there courses and are confident first aiders they can go out and assist the adults with event coverage putting everything they’ve learnt into action.

-We do a lot of scenario work sometimes we get together with the paramedics and other emergency services and will do an MVA situation or bush rescue, something along those lines. Not only do the cadets run the whole exercise but they get to cut up the cars with the jaws of life or squirt the car with the fire truck just to get a different fell for the different services.

-We have a great youth leadership program which is a 3 day course which involves leadership techniques, drill, disciple, teaching others, team work, personal development as well as a variety of other things. Once they’ve completed this they get a promotion to either Corporal or Sergeant and take a leadership roll with the other cadets. To keep there accreditation they must complete a certain amount of projects during the year this might include organizing fundraisers, organizing social outings, administrative rolls, presentations on first aid ect…

-We go camping, bike riding, white water rafting, horse riding and other social outings.

-Some of them even volunteer in old peoples homes and in hospitals.

-Sort of like the scouts they can do badges. This might include:

Radio Communication

Counter Disaster

Fire Fighting

International Friendship

Cooking

Map Reading

Boating/Camping

Child care

Handicrafts

Stuff like this. They must meet a certain criteria and it’s assessed by a professional person in that particular field.

-They also get to do awards like the Duke Of Edinburgh, Grand Priors Award they also work towards the amount of hours they complete on event coverage or community service and are awarded with badges for the amount of work they put in.

We all have great fun, there a really great bunch of kids who get along really well.

[Asysin2leads]

Look man, was I drinking, or was this the same site that was having a knock down, drag out fight over young cadets in a different thread... http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph...&highlight=

What gives, yo? Look, I appreciate young people wanting to get into this field, and I wish there was some sort of professional career counseling and such for interested parties, but when I was fourteen years old, my main interests were video games and getting to first base. Why don't we just keep it that way? If you want learn first aid, CPR, God bless, go for it, learn it, use it, may peace be upon you. But HIPPA? I don't even want to learn HIPPA! There's a word for setting up medical equipment for others. Its called work! Work sucks! Go out and play football, or go on dates, or just be a teen. For the love of god its a short period in your life.

If not, I have an idea. I will trade any willing cadet a week in my life, with all the rights and priveleges of being a certified paramedic, if I get to go be a teenager for that week. Seriously, here's my narcotics, here's my uniform, here's the keys, I'm going to go try and get a date with that cute girl in homeroom. Laters!

[Timmy]

Not again :roll: ..... Why cant we just stick to the topic?? Were only sharing ideas on what cadets are like in a different country.

[becksdad]

No way, dude! I asked her first!!

[KIWI]

Look man, was I drinking, or was this the same site that was having a knock down, drag out fight over young cadets in a different thread... http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph...&highlight=

What gives, yo? Look, I appreciate young people wanting to get into this field, and I wish there was some sort of professional career counseling and such for interested parties, but when I was fourteen years old, my main interests were video games and getting to first base. Why don't we just keep it that way? If you want learn first aid, CPR, God bless, go for it, learn it, use it, may peace be upon you. But HIPPA? I don't even want to learn HIPPA! There's a word for setting up medical equipment for others. Its called work! Work sucks! Go out and play football, or go on dates, or just be a teen. For the love of god its a short period in your life.

If not, I have an idea. I will trade any willing cadet a week in my life, with all the rights and priveleges of being a certified paramedic, if I get to go be a teenager for that week. Seriously, here's my narcotics, here's my uniform, here's the keys, I'm going to go try and get a date with that cute girl in homeroom. Laters!

Amen brother

[Timmy]

Oh and don’t worry, I still have a perfectly good teenage life. I go to party’s, I hang around my friends, I play football, I race motocross, I have a girlfriend, and I play computer games. There is career counselling and I have talked to them.

I also have a job, I’m a professional sports trainer and I get payed $35 an hour to sit there and watch old guys run around after a ball. Neither my insurance company nor my club have any problems with a 16 year old doing first aid for them. The only reason I do it is because adults are to lazy to do it and they can’t play without some form of first aid presents.

The fact of the matter is I love helping people, I love helping the community, I love learning new skills and undertaking training. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I know everyone else has way more experience and training than what I have but I’m working on it.

I understand that you guys are paramedics and I hope to be one myself or maybe even a doctor one day.

I am very professional for what I’m trained in. I treat every patient to the best of my ability and I’ve never had any complaints.

I personally think that the cadet program I’m in is a wonderful idea and I encaged anyone interested in first aid to join.

BTW, I never let things drop when I’m worked up!

[bfettig3290]

Running along the line of the other topic regarding young EMT's, remember, that as ride-alongs, we want to be criticized....getting yelled at now may prevent me from doing something wrong in the field in a year or two when I am in of old enough to get certified...

Well, i agree that there are some people my age who I would NEVER, EVER, want near me, much less a patient, but there are some of us who are mature enough to handle the responsibility, stress and demands which is why we are doing these ride-alongs/events. It one of those "one bad apples spoils the entire bunch" type of situations.

Also, my frame of view is different than that from a cadet/explorer stand point. We don't meet only once a week for an hour or two.... We meet 5 days a week for 1.5 hours before school. Every member of our class becomes a first responder minimum (usually about 4 months in to the class...our instructors make sure we know what we are doing before they even think about testing us...), with those old enough, taking the NREMT and passing. I do feel that under 16, or a junior in high school is too young to be around patients, the rest of us can perform at or even above the first responder level. We never get cocky, and know that there is someone who knows a lot more than we do, and can help and guide us when needed.

We all live normal lives, go on dates, to movies with friends, homework, etc. but the only difference is that if there is an emergency, we can respond and we know what we are doing.