Learning How to Save a Life

Seven years ago, an Emergency Medical Technician certification class debuted on campus. The state-approved course prepares students to take the written and practical exams to be certified as an EMT Basic in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Since then, the course has seen a nearly 100 percent rate of completion and has produced more than 30 people that can be depended on in an emergency.

It’s fitting that the class, which was proposed by Holy Cross students, has such a high pass rate.

“The kids are really sharp,” says Lieutenant Alan Bebka, assistant director of public safety, who organizes the course each year. “The kids who take this are a cut above. They do it on their own time and it’s not cheap. It’s a pleasure spending time with them.”

The course, taught by South County EMT Associates, is offered during the fall and spring semesters. And while it’s true that it is not cheap (cost for the course is $700, plus the book and state testing fees), it pays off. Students have landed jobs as EMTs in the Worcester area, and in their hometowns while on breaks, at summer camps and even in the athletic trainer’s office at Holy Cross.

The course at Holy Cross is unique in that it is open to members of the wider community. This year’s class includes two Holy Cross Public Safety officers and five firefighters from surrounding towns. Last year, five Public Safety officers took the class.

For Holy Cross Public Safety officers, completion of the course means officers have taken nearly three times more hours of medical training than required. The number of College officers who have voluntarily taken the class shows the Public Safety department’s commitment to excellence, says Bebka.

What’s more, it offers a rare opportunity for students and Public Safety officers to work together in a classroom setting. “It’s a chance for students and officers to see one another in a different light,” says Bebka.

About one-third of the students who take the course are in the premedical program at Holy Cross, and Bebka believes that it has been useful for other students who are interested in service-related careers.

With more than 115 extra hours of course work and classes held twice a week, it is clear that students taking the course must have a real passion for what they are learning.

“No one takes this class for any reason other than they care about the process,” says Bebka.

Paige Harrison ’10, a psychology major with a premedical concentration who is in the class says, “the EMT class has been a joy to be in. I’m sure that the information the instructors have provided us will prove to be immeasurably helpful in the future. I look forward to continuing to learn in this class and going on to take the state exam.”

By Kaitlin Juleus ’09

Related Information:

• Public Safety