EMS Week Proclaimed in Fayette County

Fayette County high schoolers will get an opportunity this summer to learn about careers in Emergency Medical Services. Fayette County EMS will offer a week-long educational program July 18-22.

“It’s going to give kids insight into what we do,” said Fayette County EMS DIrector Josh Vandever. “A lot of people don’t really know what we do. This is part of our mission to get some local people to go to technical school and come back and serve their county.”

Vandever said participants will receive first aid training and stop-the-bleed training. Students will also hear about careers in medicine from surgeons and administrators at St. Mark’s Medical Center. He said the weeklong program will also include talks from firefighters and police about careers in their fields.

Vandever said his department often depends on recruiting medics from large urban areas where there are more training opportunities for young people interested in EMS careers.

“We want to try and grow our own people, because no one cares more about their community than the people who grew up here, who were raised here,” Vandever said, adding that Brandon Johnson, who works from Fayette County EMS spearheaded the program. Parents, students and school officials interested in the program can learn more and sign up by calling Vandever or Johnson at Fayette County EMS at (979) 968-8991.

“We’ve already had some parents call and say they have a conflict that week, but even if you can’t make the whole week, we’d love to have you for even one day,” Vandever said.