Michigan living, Valley dreaming

Valley paramedics train

in Dearborn

By DANIEL SPOTH-Frontiersman reporter

For four paramedics-in-training from the Mat-Su, the best way to serve one's hometown is oftentimes to leave it for a while.

For the next three months, two men and two women from North Star Academy are residing in Dearborn, Mich., until their period of hands-on paramedics training is completed. The four students, John Beebe, Cameron Carter, Cami Zobel and Heather French, started their education in the Valley, but seek to finish it in Michigan.

Training for paramedics positions involves a number of emergency rescues of varying types; in order to become licensed, students must obtain a certain amount and variety of hands-on experience. This experience is in addition to the considerable formal training already undertaken by the four Alaskans.

"We already have nine months of education behind us," Carter said. "Now we just need hands-on training."

This variety of training could not be provided by Alaska's smaller population and lower volume of calls, so the four students packed up and headed to Michigan.

Dearborn, a large metropolitan area with a fire department that responds to nearly 9,700 calls per year, offered an ideal prospect for the potential paramedics' study.

In Dearborn, the students are expected to take charge of emergency situations and care for patients in the same manner as certified experts would, cooperating with their instructors to save lives. Dearborn trains students on runs with under a four-minute preparation time. Nearly half of these calls require a patient to be transported to a hospital, and in many cases advanced life support technology is required to maintain their condition en route. The students must thus be prepared for anything, in the same manner as licensed medical officers.

"We work hand-in-hand with the paramedics here," Carter said, adding that he was greatly impressed by the caliber of training he was receiving.

Beebe also testified to the quality of medical instruction delivered by the staff at Dearborn. "The support that has been given to us has been amazing," she said. French agreed as well, saying, "It's nice to work for a department that is so organized and runs so smoothly, where you know what your job is and what is expected of you."

The paramedics already operating out of Dearborn also consider the students' presence to be a learning experience. "It keeps us on track and aware of new techniques and all the changes in the field," said Captain Dean Creech, EMS coordinator. "When we train, it helps us to become better as well."

The progress made by the students has already been considerable. Within two weeks of arriving in Dearborn, Carter was able to perform his first intubation while on a run, a procedure where a tube is inserted in the throat to aid in breathing.

The four students will be returning to the state in April to perform their battery of National Registry tests. Should they perform well on these final exams, they will become licensed paramedics.

The most significant memories of home that the students have available in Michigan are each other. They form a close-knit group, involved in the same activities and sharing the same space. They currently live with one of the Dearborn firefighters, and share a single leased vehicle. They work on 24-hour shifts, with two working and two off-duty at any given time.

Despite their homesickness, the students have found Dearborn to be warm and welcoming, and their associates within the city reciprocate the sentiment. "It's good exposure for the city of Dearborn and for our department," said Mike Birrell, recently retired fire chief for the city. "If we don't invite others in, then we won't know what else is going on outside our city."

The students hope to work for the new Valley Hospital facility after obtaining their certifications. According to Carter, the prospective paramedics are having a good time during their unusual Michigan vacation, but they'll be glad to return to the place they call home. "We're definitely looking forward to coming back home and seeing all our friends again," he said.

Daniel Spoth can be contacted at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.