My Experience Volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician

---

Written by: Hannah Ramdath

Position, Member Since: General Member, Joined Fall 2025

Major & Track: Health Science, Pre-Med

Current Year: 1st Year

---

For the past two years, my Thursday evenings have consisted of checking ambulance equipment, radioing into a dispatch center, and responding to calls with lights and sirens around my hometown. After being inspired by generations of my family members involved in Emergency Medical Services, I decided to become an Emergency Medical Technician at the age of sixteen. I would have never predicted that assuming the greatest responsibility of life would also bring the most reward. Each shift, I encounter members of my community in their most vulnerable states who depend on me. I find joy in arriving on scene to a call and comforting family members, assuring them that my crew and I will do everything in our power to care for their loved ones. I find satisfaction in teaching Girl Scouts troops bleeding control and choking skills, while simultaneously inspiring future generations of EMTs. EMS teaches me to be present in all aspects of life, from learning how to deliver a newborn to performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation as one takes their final breath. I am an advocate for elderly patients to receive supportive care, a peer to patients my age, and a member of the Thursday crew, whose members have become my second family.

As a society, we naturally look for rewards in everything we do. Often, people question: “How do you dedicate so much time to something without being paid?” While compensation often comes in the form of income, it comes to me in priceless moments. As a volunteer, the feeling of reward is not ignited by something I receive. Instead, I feel rewarded because I have the opportunity to apply my knowledge and help save a life. The media displays constant reminders of every negative event occurring in our world. However, volunteerism reminds me that in the midst of darkness, there is always an outshining light. I often reflect on the numerous times I’ve explained to a patient, “We’re a volunteer agency, so please don’t worry about getting billed for our services!” Without volunteerism, many individuals in various communities would suffer in silence due to fear of not being able to afford emergency services. However, every Thursday night, I glance at the banner, which reads, “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” and I smile.