11 city kids complete EMS Cadet Program New Haven Register

William Kaempffer , Register Staff 06/10/2003

NEW HAVEN — Sheenieka Flores wants to work for the FBI. Jessica Marino is looking to study forensic science. George Creamer wants to be a firefighter. Despite divergent career paths, the three city high school juniors hope to use some newly acquired medical training as a vehicle to reach their dreams. The trio was among 11 city high school students to graduate Monday from the Fire Department’s EMS Cadet Program. Through the training, done in association with the Board of Education, the group now can seek state certification as emergency medical technicians. Creamer, a student at the Sound Aquaculture School, said he hopes to someday parlay the training into a job with a fire department, a profession that is increasingly providing emergency medical services. That was one of the reasons the city started the program five years ago, to give city youths exposure to the fire service and medical corps — and a leg up in landing a job in the future. But since then, the program has evolved. According to Maryann O’Brien, the school system’s career and technical education coordinator, one EMS cadet went on to become a firefighter. Others used the training as a resume builder and to set themselves apart from other college applicants. CPR and medical training helped at least two become resident assistants at dormitories in their colleges. "I wanted to get a job to pay for college," said Flores, who also attends the Sound School. Many have to wait for certifications. They can take the test this summer but will have to wait until they turn 18, and in some cases get their driver’s licenses, before they can work as an EMT. "Take advantage of what you learned and put it to good use," Assistant Fire Chief Ronald Dumas told the group. When the program began, it was offered to students at Career High School, an interdistrict magnet school in the Hill. Since then it has expanded to other city schools. The 11 graduates came from five city high schools. During the course of their training, they logged observation hours in the emergency room and completed more than 120 hours of classroom work, learning everything from cardiopulmonary resuscitation to splinting fractures and using a defibrillator. Graduating Thursday were: Marino, Flores and Creamer of the Sound School; Celia Prussing, Maria Marin, and Gamaliel Garcia, of Wilbur Cross High; Fikre Kirkwood and Erin Brown, Hillhouse High; Ruben Gonzalez and LaTesha Jones, of Riverside Academy; and Jose Ramos, of the Hill Regional Career High School.

©New Haven Register 2003
William Kaempffer can be reached at wkaempffer@nhregister.com, or 789-5727.