HOISINGTON — Andrea Aguilera is a senior at Chase High School. She learned that the Hoisington Emergency Medical Services offers opportunities for volunteer EMTs through a friend while she was attending emergency medical technician training at Barton Community College during her second semester of her junior year. After she completed her training, she took her practical boards in June.
Thursday morning, Hoisington EMS Director Scott Fleming introduced Aguilera at the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Coffee as the newest addition to the Hoisington EMS family. That brings the number of volunteers to 20, he said. She has been job shadowing with members of the department throughout the month of July.
She was interested in an EMS career prior to learning of the Hoisington opportunity, she said. Her goal after high school is to become a Paramedic after high school.
“The program was harder than I thought it would be, and it was a lot of work, but I love it,” she said.
Aguilera has accepted the same volunteer commitment as her peers. Shifts are 12-hours long, and because of the distance she is coming, she will be serving during weekends. While on call, she will stay at the Hoisington EMS station.
Currently, she has been riding along as a third person on the team as she familiarizes herself with procedures.
“Soon, she will be sent on the same calls as anyone else,” Fleming said.
Hoisington EMS volunteers not only respond to accidents, but other health emergencies as well as transporting patients to hospitals both inside and outside the service area. They are essentially unpaid, receiving a token payment per call. Most who serve are either working towards a career, as Aguilera is, or want to serve their community in a meaningful way.