was injured and calls to the squad went unanswered.

was injured and calls to the squad went unanswered.

“I panicked and did not know what to do,” she said.

At that point, Mrs. Payne decided to join the team.

“Last week, at school one of the i children passed out. I knew what to do,” she said with pride, adding just 1 weeks after taking classes she is able 1 to apply what she has learned and has the confidence to step forward.

Reacting to the situation like his i mother, Christopher Payne, too, felt ' helpless when his brother was injuried.

Now, he attends first responder courses with his mother and has joined the squad as one of its first junior members.

“It’s pretty hard to see someone you love hurting and not be able to help,” he said, proud of his decision to become a member with the squad.

“Along with sports, this would be what I would do,” he said, adding even though his peers sometimes question his choice, he thinks he made the correct one.

“Last week a kid was hyperventilating at school and I was there. I told the teachers I was a first responder and I knew what to do,” he said.

“It’s a pretty good feeling to be able to help,” he said.

Members can have a variety of duties from driving the squad to and from calls and the hospital, helping to stock the squad, taking calls at the station, and after qualifications are met, giving simple and more complex first aid treatments.

Junior members are 15 to 18 years of age while emergency medical technicans need to be 18. There is no age limit for helping with a rescue squad.

“You can not serve as an attendent in charge until you are 18,” Mr. Hatter said, adding even with that limitation the junior members can assist qualified caregivers and learn from their experience.

“It’s really up to the person on how much they want to learn,” Mr. Hatter said, adding the first course is the first responder course followed by the basic emergency medical technician training course (EMT) which requires 110 hours in the classroom and 10 hours in the hospital emergency room.

It allows the volunteer to administer oxygen, teaches basic body physiology, taking of blood pressure and pulse, how to splint and basic first aid.

Course work progresses from this point to advanced EMT training as shock-trauma and then cardiac care technicians. Each follows state designated coursework for certification and in many cases materials and fees are covered by the rescue squad.

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