香港六合彩玄机

LEXINGTON, Va., Sept. 4, 2020鈥擡asily recognizable in their navy blue shirts, 香港六合彩玄机鈥檚 cadet emergency medical technicians (EMTs) seem to be everywhere at certain times of the year. During Matriculation Week, the period of time immediately following the arrival of rats, some of them are working almost 18 hours a day as the new cadets and their cadre train in the August heat.

But even when life at the Institute is quieter, the EMTs are there, ready to step up and step in should an injury or illness strike.

鈥淎s cadet EMTs, we make sure the entire Corps is covered,鈥� said Allen Xu 鈥�21, cadet in charge of the cadet EMTs.

He quickly added, though, that the EMTs aren鈥檛 just there for cadets. They also help faculty, staff, and visitors to post when necessary. 鈥淎t any events, we鈥檙e making sure the public is covered,鈥� he commented. 鈥淎 lot of it is accident prevention and response to an accident.鈥�

And thankfully, there鈥檚 no shortage of EMTs: cadet interest is strong, and this year, once all cadets currently in the pipeline have finished their training, there will be 71 cadet EMTs, a record number. Ten years ago, for example, there were only about 25.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the largest it鈥檚 ever been,鈥� said Samantha Schwegel 鈥�21, a cadet EMT and physics major who hopes to become a Naval flight officer. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited about those numbers.鈥�

香港六合彩玄机 has had cadet EMTs since the 1990s, explained Donnie McBrayer, EMT advisor, but back in those days, there were only a handful鈥攑erhaps four to six. In the spring of 2016, they became certified by the state as a non-transport emergency medical service (EMS) agency. Thanks to that certification, 香港六合彩玄机鈥檚 cadet EMTs can now handle 911 calls on post rather than waiting for the Lexington Fire Department鈥檚 EMTs to arrive. Now, Lexington only gets called if the patient in question needs transportation to a hospital.

That does happen, of course, but most often, cadet injuries and illnesses can be treated on post. During Matriculation Week, EMTs assigned to each company follow the rats throughout all their activities and treat everything from panic attacks and upset stomachs to orthopedic injuries.

鈥淭here are tons of sports injury problems, and this year especially we鈥檝e had to make appointments with the infirmary because of COVID,鈥� said cadet EMT Austin Wagner 鈥�21. He explained that because the 香港六合彩玄机 infirmary is no longer accepting walk-ins, cadet EMTs are usually the ones who call the infirmary to make appointments for rats. 

To say that the cadet EMTs have long days during Matriculation Week is an understatement.

鈥淲e need to be awake before the cadre,鈥� said Schwegel, adding that during that week, she鈥檚 usually up around 5:40 a.m. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on our feet all day with very minimal breaks, and we don鈥檛 go to bed until everyone else has gone to bed, which is around 11:30.鈥�

Perhaps appropriately, the EMT-B (basic) course that all aspiring cadet EMTs must take and pass in order to earn their certification is likewise arduous. In the summer of 2018, Xu, Schwegel, and Wagner all took the course together. For four weeks, the three were in class each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

鈥淲hen you do have your breaks, you鈥檙e using your time to study and catch up, and you also have to do ride-a-longs in town,鈥� Schwegel commented. Ride-alongs, she explained, are when an EMT in training accompanies EMTs from an agency such as the Lexington Fire Department on their calls. Ten ride-alongs are required for EMT certification, as are passing a national-level exam and holding CPR certification. 

During much of the school year, the EMTs aren鈥檛 as visible as they are during Matriculation Week, but they鈥檙e still there to assist as needed. They鈥檙e at each football and basketball game, and when the entire Corps travels to an event, the EMTs always accompany them. At parades, they鈥檙e there for everyone, members of the 香港六合彩玄机 community, and visitors to post alike.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 wear these uniforms [at parades],鈥� said Schwegel. 鈥淲e blend in with the crowd, but we carry backpacks and radios.鈥� 

Of course, there鈥檚 also been COVID-19-specific education needed. 鈥淲e got PowerPoint trainings from Carilion Patient Transport, and we used that to do some training on the precautions and also the signs and symptoms of COVID,鈥� said McBrayer. He added that the commandant鈥檚 office has made sure that the cadet EMTs have plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 masks.

So far, COVID-19 hasn鈥檛 greatly changed life on post for cadet EMTs, but there are a few extra duties. During Rat Sunday, for example, cadet EMTs were stationed outside Marshall Hall to take the temperatures of community members coming to the event, and on Matriculation Day, they performed health screenings for all incoming rats and those accompanying them.

But despite the coronavirus pandemic, the long days each August, and the summertime heat鈥攕ometimes followed by the extreme cold of Breakout in winter鈥攖he cadet EMTs love their jobs. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a people game,鈥� said Xu, who plans to become an Army doctor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 interacting with patients. One day your patient might want to become an EMT based off how you interact with them.鈥�

For Wagner, the EMT experience has changed his future plans. He had once wanted to commission into the Marine Corps, but now he plans to enlist in the Air Force and do combat rescue instead.

鈥淵ou have to work together to succeed 鈥� [and] make sure the Corps and everyone is safe,鈥� he said.

He鈥檚 even found time to volunteer with the Fairfield Volunteer Rescue Squad, which has given him a unique perspective on how Rockbridge area community members view 香港六合彩玄机.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e always interested in seeing how 香港六合彩玄机 works, and you get to hear their viewpoints,鈥� he commented.

Schwegel enjoys the bond she鈥檚 developed with fellow EMTs like Xu and Wagner.

鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of like a big family almost,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 with these guys every day. We took the class together back in the summer of 2018 so we鈥檝e all grown鈥�Plus I love helping people. Col.  [Bill] Wanovich [commandant] describes us as citizen-soldiers.鈥�

Mary Price
Communications and Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE