Darien EMS-Post 53 Students Complete Intensive Six-Month EMT Training Program

Final “Extrication” Exercise Provided Realistic Traffic-Accident Training
 in Partnership with Noroton Fire Department

Darien, CT (May 28, 2014) – Twenty-six students completed Darien EMS-Post 53’s intensive six-month EMT training program on March 12 to become State-certified EMTs by participating in the final “extrication” exercise conducted with Noroton Fire Department volunteers.  In addition, five adults completed the course and will join Post 53 as adult advisors. 

The EMT course, which began in October, is a college level curriculum sanctioned and managed by the State of Connecticut. Students receive their certification after successfully completing written and practical tests following 170 classroom and observation hours.  

The content of the course includes: trauma and medical assessments, CPR and AED, airway management, medical emergencies, trauma management, handling special populations of geriatric and pediatric patients, psychological emergencies and mass casualty incidents.  The course focuses on any medical emergencies that occur outside the hospital.  In each case the EMT learns how to handle the patient from assessment to treatment.

In addition to their training, the students dedicate a total of more than 4,000 volunteer hours at Post 53 during the year. 

“I am, once again, impressed by the dedication and determination of the class of Post 53 students,” said Marilyn Vojta, Director of Training.  “The students gave it all they had and more throughout the year.”

Students applied all they learned throughout the course to the “extrication” exercise, simulating a serious highway accident where several people are trapped in overturned vehicles. Noroton Fire Department participated in the exercise with the EMT class students, who face difficult life-saving situations to get their “victims” safely on their way to the hospital. The drill included use of the fire department’s state-of-the-art rescue equipment.  This is the 35th year the course has been taught at Darien EMS-Post 53.

Founded in 1970, Post 53 provides emergency medical services to the Darien community at the highest level of excellence, using Darien High School students and adult volunteers.  The members of Post 53 are committed to achieving and maintaining the highest level of training and skill in providing pre-hospital care and transport to the citizens of Darien.  Post 53 is recognized locally and nationally as one of the finest emergency ambulance services in the United States, for its consistently high quality of pre-hospital emergency care.