'Wow, I just saved this person': These high school seniors are now ready to become EMTs

Seven seniors are the first to successfully complete a program in Terrebonne Parish high schools that certifies them to become emergency medical technicians after graduation.

All seven have job interviews with Acadian Ambulance, said David McCormick, an EMT with the ambulance service who taught the course.

Fourteen students from all four of the parish's public high schools took the course, which was offered on the South Terrebonne campus.

The seven who completed the program are now certified through both the National Registry of EMTs and the Louisiana Bureau of EMS. That qualifies them for jobs as EMTs throughout state and nation.

Founded last year, the partnership between Terrebonne Parish public schools and Acadian aims to help address a shortage of EMTs and paramedics across the country.

The yearlong class included 24 hours of clinical training. Each student accompanied pros on two ambulance shifts.

"It was exciting," said Lexie LeBoeuf, 18, who completed the training at South Terrebonne. "It was just like wow, I just saved this person."

Local schools: Lafourche superintendent responds to 10% pay raise in neighboring school district

During her ride-along, LeBoeuf helped with two drug overdoses and one gunshot wound. She administered Narcan, an antidote used to revive overdose patients, and wrapped the gunshot victim's injured hand.

LeBoeuf said the experience solidified her goal of becoming a doctor. For now, she is going through the hiring process at Acadian.

McCormick said it would cost about $4,000 for someone to take the same training on his or her own. The class included training on some of the actual medical equipment EMTs use in the field.

Kaitlyn Lapeyrouse, 18, said she was drawn to the idea of practice in the medical field as well as the opportunity to engage in something unique.

"It was a new course offered at South Terrebonne, so why not take it?" she said.

Her time in the ride-along was mostly spent working with dialysis patients, hospital transfers and shortness-of-breath calls.

"I like the suspense because you never know what call you're going to get," Lapeyrouse said.

More: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards dropping COVID vaccine requirement for schoolchildren

McCormick said the course, offered in several other school systems across Louisiana, teaches many life-saving skills, such as how to treat trauma, administer CPR, deliver medication, identify illnesses and treat broken bones.

The amount of medical terminology to memorize could be daunting, but the hands-on work was rewarding, said Andrew Nettleton, 18, of Terrebonne High.

"It's a weight off my shoulders," said Nettleton about completing the course. "It was probably the most stressful course I have ever had taken."

Nettleton plans to get a degree in business and said he was drawn to the course for practical reasons. When McCormick was promoting the class, Nettleton said he saw working as an EMT through the summer as a way to help pay for his college education.

"McCormick spoke to our class and said 'at 18 you'll be making more money than anyone your age,' " Nettleton said.

A spokesperson with Acadian said starting pay for EMTs is $15 to $16 an hour.

In one ride-along, Nettleton said, the ambulance responded to a cardiac-arrest call. During the adrenaline-filled rescue, Nettleton was handed a ventilation bag but didn't even know from who. He began pumping air into the patient's lungs while the paramedic administered Narcan. The patient was saved.

" 'I don't know where you got the ventilation bag, but I'm impressed,' " Nettleton said the paramedic told him. "I got this rush that I only got from sports."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: These Terrebonne Parish students are now ready to become EMTs