In the final hour of the 2025 EMS Week I thought it would be appropriate to start a topic about the impressive work students do for their adopted communities by working for their college/local Emergency Medical Service organizations.
For those interested in following this path when they arrive at school, below is a link to EMS services registered with the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF).
Hopefully CC members will add information and personal experiences to this topic going forward. As a jumping off point I thought I would highlight one of the oldest and most active college providers, Saint Michael’s Fire and Rescue. Since 1969 they’ve provided EMS and Fire services both on campus and within Vermont’s most populous county, covering 385 square miles 24/7/365.
This is a volunteer organization staffed by students carrying a full course load, but responding to calls in their “free time.” The world is a better place because of these volunteers.
My rising sophomore is a member of their campus EMS crew and it’s been a wonderful experience. They feel very fortunate as there aren’t nearly enough spots for the amount interested, so it’s very competitive. They are driving the ambulance and work four 12-hour overnight shifts a month. It’s a lot to keep up with alongside studies and all the other volunteer and extracurricular commitments, but they absolutely love it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
On our tour of URI they said that some kids are volunteers with local FD. UMass Amherst also has some sort of involvement with FD, too. Franklin Pierce (small uni in NH) school has FD connections..
For those coming to Lexington to W&L and VMI, several of our students volunteer locally in Rockbridge County. Most stick to Lexington Fire or BV Rescue squad, but theres a bunch of other rescue squads/fire companies in our area that are fully volunteer only.
VMI specifically has their own unit, Response 14, which is a flycar staffed by VMI EMTs who assess until Rescue 1 (LFD) gets on scene.
LFD/RCFR also hosts free EMT/FF1 & 2 courses for volunteers, so those like me who volunteer can often get free schooling or continuing education hours. Virginia Department of Fire Programs also hosts Emergency Vehicle Operator Courses (EVOC), and many other courses throughout the state those affiliated with a department can attend. I got my EVOC through VDFP for free because I’m affiliated with LFD.
Whitman hosts 80 hour Wilderness First Responder courses twice a year (along with regular First Aid + CPR classes) and they have a First Responder organization on campus that responds to calls.
They also send students to the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) Annual Conference.
I salute your service and hope high school students that find this thread will take your words (that I emphasized above) to heart. Colleges and universities are expected to be transformative, but I can honestly say our son’s rescue squad experience had a more consequential effect on him.
“Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Technicians. OEC is based on the standard EMT-Basic Curriculum. Dartmouth Student Patrollers will undergo an average of 200 hours of training before they are qualified for first-response to emergency calls.”
This made me think about an EMS YouTuber I check out every once in awhile. His name is PrepMedic and he entered the profession by joining the local ski patrol OEC.
that super cool! I will share with my kid - they would find this super interesting - always been interested in EMS in all forms (and is an aviation geek).
As the high school class of 2025 prepares to head off to their chosen schools I want to resuscitate (pun intended) this topic. Over the coming weeks most will uproot the lives they’ve known for 18 years and move to a location that is new and exciting. One of the main topics incoming students worry about is making friends and hopefully finding “their people.” A proven way to do this is to get involved in organizations made up of likeminded individuals. That could be a religious group, a Greek organization, the dance team, a club or rec sport, and even a rescue squad. Hopefully you can identify the organization that best fits you early in your college career.
In the past I exclusively recommended joining a rescue squad to nursing students, or students on a pre-med track, even though our son was neither of those things. As I came to know his rescue squad friends it made me realize how many different majors benefited from their time on an ambulance. I can tell you that very few college ECs have the potential to captivate a hiring manager like volunteer EMT/paramedic/firefighter positions. Making life or death decisions in your free time as a college student carrying a full course load demonstrates commitment, compassion, service beyond self and grit.
Whatever organizations you choose to join, embrace the opportunity to grow and learn from both the experience, and the people you’re involved with there. It could change your life.
