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In many small towns, emergency medical crews rely on volunteers, and volunteers are not always easy to find. So Lake City, Colorado, celebrated this summer when some new emergency medical technicians finished their training. Laura Palmisano with KVNF reports.
LAURA PALMISANO, BYLINE: Buffy Witt, a retired paramedic, knows firsthand how important volunteer EMTs are. In 2023, her son was in a car accident, and she, assisted by volunteers, helped save him.
BUFFY WITT: Having first responders here really does make the difference between life and death.
PALMISANO: Only about 400 people live in Lake City, so it's good news when three residents pass their National Board test and become EMTs. One is Rowan McNeese, who works at the local bakery.
ROWAN MCNEESE: Hi (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED CUSTOMER: Hi.
PALMISANO: She's 18 years old, graduated high school in May and got the highest score in her local EMT cohort.
MCNEESE: It was definitely hard at first to learn how to balance my high school and then also the workload for my EMT class 'cause that was a lot. But as it moved forward, I kind of got the hang of it, and it got a little easier.
PALMISANO: At the other end of the age spectrum is Lori Stewart.
LORI STEWART: It was fun being the grandma to the other people in the class. It does show that age is just a number.
PALMISANO: Stewart is 73 years old and retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry. She's been a volunteer ambulance driver with the local EMS agency since 2023.
STEWART: Well, No. 1, I love to drive. I do all the driving in my family and - seriously, all of it. It was rewarding. I love doing the runs.
PALMISANO: Stewart says her three years as an ambulance driver helped prepare her to become an EMT.
STEWART: I'll say I've seen a lot, and I found out I could handle it.
PALMISANO: After this summer, her fellow volunteer Rowan McNeese is leaving for university. McNeese says she'll still volunteer when she's home and in the summer. Hinsdale County EMS is happy to welcome McNeese and Stewart to the agency. However, it is still in need of more volunteer providers and ambulance drivers. For NPR News, I'm Laura Palmisano in Lake City, Colorado.
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