Partnership between PfISD, ESD 2 provides students with medical expertise

With the use of a decommissioned ambulance, Pflugerville high school students will be even more prepared to graduate with an EMT certification.

Since they were formed in 2019, more than 130 students have graduated from the fire and EMT academies, a partnership between the Pflugerville school district and Travis County ESD No. 2. Currently there are 19 students in the Fire Academy and 35 in the EMT Academy at Hendrickson High School. The school district and ESD No. 2, also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, celebrated the launch of the ambulance on Nov. 7.

With the ambulance, students from both the fire and EMT academies will be able to practice CPR on a dummy, learn how to operate in a confined space and how to transfer a patient to and from the vehicle.

Shay Haude, an instructor for the EMT Academy, said the program prepares students who are looking for a future in medicine. Haude said that even if the students don't enter the medical field, they will still have the skills to save someone's life. Students in the EMT pathway complete 48 hours at a hospital and 24 hours doing ambulance ride-alongs.

Haude said that with a shortage of medical professionals, the academy also helps to fill gaps. According to federal officials, there are 440 "health professional shortage areas" in Texas, affecting nearly 7.5 million people. When considering mental health care professional shortage areas, that figure jumps to 15 million.

Haude said the new mobile lab also makes it easier for the district to show other schools what the program does, as they are able to drive the ambulance to other schools.

The ambulance will be stationed at Hendrickson High School to ensure easy access for students and instructors of the Fire/EMT Academy, officials said. The Pflugerville Community Development Corporation awarded the district $77,000 to pay for the decommissioned ambulance and equipment.

"The PCDC was excited to support our education partners and help put this program on the move so it can provide a realistic training program and literally roll it out at other campuses," Amy Madison, the development corporation's executive director, said in a new release. "Our grant further amplifies the commitment of our community partnership with the PfISD and ESD #2 to nurture the next generation of medical professionals."

Riley Lowe, a Hendrickson senior, said the program is a good fit for her because of her interest in medicine, and also because she wants to be able to help people during a traumatic experience. Lowe said that when her sister had a severe allergic reaction, the paramedic made them feel comfortable and protected. She said she wants to be able to do that for others.

She also said it is great to have the ability to graduate with a job in hand.

"I think it's a really good experience," Lowe said. "Especially in high school, you can just come out of (it) with a job."

Lance Bautista, a Hendrickson senior, said the academy is one of the best experiences he could ask for. There's no greater opportunity, he said, than being able to gain extensive medical knowledge as a high schooler.

Lowe and Bautista they both hope to work locally after they graduate in May. Both said that with the mobile lab, they are able to put what they learn in the classroom to the test. Lowe said gaining that experience will make them more comfortable when they do their ride-alongs.

"It's a lot more realistic, so I can get a feel for what I'm actually going to be doing," Bautista said. "This gives us so much knowledge that we wouldn't get by writing notes."

ESD #2 Fire Chief Nick Perkins said the academies also help to recruit people at a young age.

Perkins said about eight students who completed the academies have gone on to work at ESD No. 2.

"They (get) some really critical life skills that they carry for the rest of their lives," Perkins said. "This helps build a safer, better prepared and more resilient community. These programs help students see people who look like them, which furthermore contributes to recruitment into emergency services. This helps the Fire Department be more diverse and reflective of the community. "

Firefighter Matt Lopez graduated from Hendrickson High School in 2020, having completed both the Fire and EMT academies. For the past two years, he has been working for ESD No. 2.

Lopez said the academies helped to set the foundation for what he would need for the real world and helped to better prepare him for paramedic school. Lopez applied to work at ESD 2 after graduation and then became a cadet. Lopez said he applied to paramedic school to enhance his skills.

Kaitlyn Mancia, a 2023 graduate of the academy and in the current cadet class for ESD No. 2, said the knowledge and experience she gained from the academy have given her a step up. She said she wants to work in Pflugerville to give back to the community.

"When you grow up somewhere that has given you everything, I just want to be able to give back to it," Mancia said. "I want to serve my community any way I can."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Partnership between PfISD, ESD 2 gives students medical expertise