Eagle learn how to respond to emergencies
About 1.3 million car accidents occur a year all over the world. That’s around 3,287 car crashes happening every day. On average, it takes an emergency medical technician four minutes to arrive at the scene of an accident and help the injured.
But a lot of things can happen within four minutes of a car accident, and some people may not have the knowledge or skills to help those people that are seriously hurt.
That is where the first responders class at Southwest High School comes into play.
Accidents can happen at any given time and place, and who is there to assist can seriously make the difference in a person’s survival depending if they know what to do while more help is on its way.
The first responders teacher Andrea Corella said that her students could be the ones to actually try and help these people survive their injury.
Corella said, “I want them to feel comfortable that in an emergency they feel comfortable with themselves and be able to perform these skills. We’re not trying be heroes or like an episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ just whatever you learn
go ahead and perform it the best you can.”
Being the first year that this is taught at Southwest High School, students are given the opportunity to acquire new and valuable skills even if they don’t go into a medical profession.
Corella said, “I think it fills a void that we had in our school or a need that we had in our athletic programs here.”
The class will help the students prepare for emergencies that are unfortunately common, such as earthquakes and car accidents.
The students would be able to know how to respond in case of an emergency.
“We’re learning how to give basic care for someone until an actual emergency care person comes,” said Kayla Pinedo, 18, a Southwest senior.
Pinedo said this skill will help her future career of becoming an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician.
The first responders class gives students lots of hands-on learning experience.
One experience was getting the chance to meet a first responder and being able to shadow them at a football game.
Pinedo enjoys being able have hands-on interaction with the material such being able to use, “the stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, even though doctors today use the BP (blood pressure) machine.”
The students’ motivation to learn and gain new skills makes the class shine.
“I want to know how to help people when they’re in bad situations,” said Clarissa Carrillo, 17, a Southwest senior.
Clarissa said this class will give her the experience she needs for the medical field to become an EMT. She believes learning how to help unconscious people and taking their blood pressure will really benefit her for her future career.
If anybody is thinking of maybe taking this class next year or in the later years to come then they should take into account what some of the students now have to say about the class.
“I do recommend this class, because it is a good next step for being part of the EMS,” said Julien Tabarez, 18, a Southwest senior.