Some of Wake County EMS’s Youth Programs that were halted last year in the wake of the pandemic are now slated to return to the calendar in 2021.
EMS Club is set to return to its monthly sessions beginning Monday, May 10 and continue on the second Monday of each month. Club is for high school age youth to get hands-on activity and instruction on a variety of EMS equipment and treatment skills.
“EMS Club is the perfect opportunity for our area youth to get a close-up look at EMS, but without a big time commitment,” says Jake Hardison, Wake County EMS Training Chief who oversees EMS Club.
“You can come in for two hours in the evening once a month and learn a lot about EMS. Then if you’re interested in getting more involved, we have a multitude of pathways for you to do that.”
Wake County’s eventful EMS Summer Camp will return in June after last year’s pandemic induced hiatus as well. The program, which began in 2014, has grown significantly and has given hundreds of youth an immersive weeklong look at EMS.
The Covid pandemic will continue to impact this year’s camp with modifications and limitations to keep everyone safe. The activities will focus on hands-on learning and skills at Wake County’s Emergency Services Education Center, which is a large facility that allows for the spacing necessary to maintain Covid-safe standards. Many activities will be held outside with tents, and the camp will carry out the mask standards that everyone has grown accustomed to.
The pandemic will unfortunately eliminate field ride along time on the response units and the field trips that have been taken in the past, but look for those activities to return in 2022. EMS Camp sessions have also been reduced to one basic camp week and one advanced camp week in June. Holding the round two sessions in July needed to be eliminated because the EMS new hire academy also occurs in July, and that would not allow for adequate spacing at the education center.
Carissa Lewis, camp director.
“We know it’s a disappointment that we won’t be able to take our field trips or do our ride-alongs this year, but we
“We’ve focused our efforts on a lot of fun learning activities with EMS skills right here at our training center,” says know that all of our campers are in for a fun time where they’ll learn a lot.”
Both EMS Club and EMS Camp are held at the Emergency Services Education Center. You can learn more about both EMS Club and EMS Camp on the EMS website under the “Community Outreach & Youth” tab.
