MONROE, CT — Rachel Murphy, deputy chief of the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service, works in philanthropy, and Chris Sullivan, an emergency medical technician of nearly seven years, had wanted to be a doctor, before eventually pursuing sales for a medical device company.
“We have members from virtually all walks of life, from HR professionals to nurses,” Murphy said before a meeting at MVEMS headquarters, 54 Jockey Hollow Road, Wednesday evening. “One of my coworkers talked me into taking a class and I loved it, and have been here since 2003.”
Monroe EMS Chief Craig Rosenberg said the town’s organization has 38 members and is always looking for new volunteers as call volumes increase. The MVEMS responds to approximately 1,800 calls a year, according to Rosenberg.
“We can definitely use your help,” he said. “It’s such a rewarding thing to do. You truly get to help people every day.” Of the camaraderie among EMS members, he said, “it is like a big family.”
Rosenberg said volunteers’ hours are flexible and new members always feel supported by the more senior ones as they gain experience.
An EMT class will be held at MVEMS headquarters this October, running from Oct. 8 through March 8. Jon Brown, the lead instructor, said participants will earn their national EMT certification in basic life support.
“No experience is needed,” Rosenberg said. “We offer everything you need. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the community. We’re all about neighbors helping neighbors. This class provides the training and skills you need to volunteer to work as an EMT.”
Those who complete the course and join the MVEMS will receive half reimbursement of their tuition in their first year and the other half after the second year of membership, according to Rosenberg.
Brown said the course includes 150 hours of classroom training and practical hands-on training — Ride alongs on ambulances to see how emergency calls are handled and rotations in hospital emergency rooms.
Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and on one-to-two Saturdays per month.
Among the basic life support skills that will be taught are CPR, splinting, trauma care, use of AEDs and providing care for diabetic emergencies, cardiac issues and allergic reactions.
Those interested in enrolling in the EMT class should call MVEMS Administrator Lisa Pane at 203-452-2826, ext. 1601, or email her at [email protected].
‘It’s been awesome’
“I love getting to know members of the community,” Murphy said of volunteering. “Usually people are having a bad day when they see us, but we try to be a friendly face — and I love running into folks I know at all our community events.”
When Sullivan was a college student in Providence, R.I., he spent two years in pre-med, before switching his major to business with a minor in biology.
Though he ended up in sales for medical devices, Sullivan craved the patient care he would have been able to provide as a doctor, so he took an EMT course at Hartford Hospital only to allow his certification expire.
“One of the EMT’s dads who I made a connection with at work spoke to Don Smith,” Sullivan said of Monroe’s late EMS chief. “We spoke and he let me know a class was coming up.”
Sullivan took the class and joined the MVEMS.
Sullivan said he instructs surgeons in operating rooms on how to use the medical devices he sells, adding his experience volunteering for EMS has since made him feel more confidence in commanding a room and better at interviewing patients.
“It’s been awesome,” he said of being a member of Monroe’s EMS. “Everybody’s so friendly and so welcoming. They make you feel comfortable.”
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