Story and photos by Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross
Preparing people to respond to emergencies is one thing the American Red Cross does –and does well. Now, eleven Roosevelt High School teens are ready to help save lives after successfully completing Red Cross Emergency Medical Response (EMR) training.
The students received their course certificates during a ceremony at the high school on October 28. Minneapolis VIPs on-hand included Mayor Betsy Hodges, Fire Chief John Fruetel and Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson.
All partner representatives are very thankful for the Red Cross and its work to help the Minneapolis fire department engage with local youth, prepare teens for fire fighting and healthcare careers after graduation, and add diversity to the fire department so that it better represents the community it serves. “Without the Red Cross we would not have gone as far as we have,” says Fire Chief John Fruetel.
Also present to celebrate with the students and city officials was Red Cross instructor Steven Brown who taught the EMR course to the students. “When Steve was hired on as the instructor, I was confident that the students would be able to build a solid foundation of knowledge with Steve as their instructor,” says Kari Anderson Slade, Health Careers Program Coordinator at Roosevelt High School.
As the instructor for this part of their first responder training, Brown had the honor of giving the teens their course certificates. “Steve has been extremely thoughtful about his role as a teacher of EMR this fall, but has also gone beyond this to recognize the importance of EMR, in the scope of the EMT program students are taking,” says Anderson Slade.
From here, the teens move on to the second half their training with Hennepin Technical College, which will prepare them to become certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
That is, of course, if they pass the test. If their current dedication and enthusiasm serves as an indicator of success, then they’ll likely get all As.
Click here to learn more about American Red Cross healthcare and public safety training and certification programs.
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