End of Program

We met one last time as a group on Sunday.  Students are now registering for their computerized national EMT exams; Tressa, Emile and Lauren will test here in Missoula tomorrow.

We have said this before:  this is an amazing group.  In addition to their intelligence and motivation, they were phenomenally supportive of each other during two and half challenging and intense months.  We feel very privileged to have had them as students and look forward to hearing great things about each of them in the future.  Jenna, Emile, Emilie, Sam D, Sam V, Tressa, Savannah, Lauren, Liam, Taylor, Miranda and Dylan:  Thank you!  Thank you also to our instructors:  Darcy, Trenton, Andrea, Fernando, Drs. Moore and Johnson, our swifwater instructor Mike Johnston, avalanche instructors Dudley Improta and Tim Laroche, HazMat instructor Dan Corti, cadaver lab instructor Miranda Lewis, the Missoula City Fire Department, Melissa Diebert and the ambulance staff at Missoula Emergency Services, the staff of St. Patrick Hospital Emergency Department, staff at Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica and the Rich Ranch in Seeley Lake and numerous others who donned fake wounds, jumped into icy rivers, buried themselves in snow and otherwise acted hurt or contributed their expertise.

Swiftwater Rescue Technician Training on the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers

It's a theme of the program:  there is no substitute for experience.  This past week, students were wading off of snow-covered river banks into ice-cold water to learn how to be an effective rescuer (and not a patient!) in a fast-moving river.  During this time, they earned their Swiftwater Rescue Technician (SRT) certifications, which are the industry standard for the river-guiding and rescue industry.   Skills acquired included assessment of river hazards, establishing safety during river rescues, swimming in cold, fast-moving water, acting as live-bait (swimming out to rescue an unresponsive or otherwise incapacitated person), setting up and using pulleys and ropes (Z-drag systems) to pull objects like rafts and kayaks out of jams, and using throw-bags to get a safety rope to a conscious swimmer.  This is now our last weekend, with students completing their emergency room observations and ambulance ride-alongs.  The program ends on Saturday, with National and State testing on Sunday.  This is an amazingly skilled and motivated group that we expect will do exceptionally well.