Eighteen-year-old Rowan McNeese just finished a basic EMT course, and she graduated high school at the end of May.
“It was definitely hard at first to learn how to balance my high school and also the workload of my EMT class because that was a lot. But, as it moved forward, I kind of got the hang of it, and it got a little easier,” she said.
The EMT course lasted 16 weeks. McNeese got the highest scores in her Lake City cohort.
That was surprising for her because in high school she didn’t feel motivated to apply herself beyond what was required.
“I just knew that I wasn’t going to fail out of the EMT class. And then once I was in it, I found it exciting and fun, and I wanted to keep learning, and I wanted to do better. And I don’t know if I really ever felt that in school before. So this was just a really cool experience where I wanted to do it instead of just having to do it,” she said.
After McNeese finished the course, she passed the national boards. She is now a certified EMT. She did all of that in the same month she graduated high school.
This summer, McNeese is working at a local bakery and going on calls with Hinsdale County Emergency Medical Services, a small, mostly volunteer organization.
In the fall, she’s set to start as a freshman at Western Colorado University in Gunnison but still plans to volunteer as an EMT in Lake City when she’s home. McNeese wants to further her education in healthcare at Western.
“They have a nursing program. So I guess I’m doing the pre-nursing classes but I don’t know if I’ll go into nursing or if I’m just doing those classes to go to, I don’t know, maybe paramedic or something else like that,” she said.
Lori Stewart is at the other end of the age spectrum from McNeese. Stewart is 73-years-old and retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
“It was fun being the grandma to the other people in the class. And it does show that age is just a number,” she said.
She started volunteering with Hinsdale County EMS in 2023 as an ambulance driver.
“Well, number one, I love to drive. I do all the driving in my family. And seriously, all of it. And it was rewarding. I love doing the runs,” Stewart said.
She’s made numerous trips from Lake City to Gunnison to transport patients to the only nearby hospital. The drive is 55 miles one way.
“It was interesting to find out that as a driver you are not just a driver. We have to know how to get the stretchers out. We have to know where some of the equipment is to be able to pull off the ambulance. We need to know how to communicate with dispatch,” she said.
Stewart said her three years as an ambulance driver helped prepare her to become an EMT.
“I’ll say I’ve seen a lot and found out I could handle it,” she said.
Dan Humphreys, a captain with Hinsdale County EMS, helped train the recent EMT class. Humphreys said he tried to impart this advice to them.
“The main thing for me has always just been thinking on your feet, trying to make the best decision you can in the moment, listening to your teammates, and trying to have open dialogue and open conversation about how we approach things as a team,” Humphreys said.
The new EMTs are in a clearing process. For now, when they go on calls, it will be under the supervision of another experienced EMT or paramedic. Hinsdale County EMS is happy to welcome them to the agency. However, it’s still in need of more volunteer providers and ambulance drivers.
