Toastmasters

Growing up with having a history of seizures really caused some problems for me in life.  When I was in Elementary School I had to go through a Speech Therapy program, in till I was in about 5th grade.  I tend to be a really shy person, so between that and having to do the speech therapy, I became extremely nervous when it came to public speaking. It was not in till my mom became the Fire Prevention officer with OWL VFD (Occuquan Woodbridge Lorton Volunteer Fire Department), that we were truly around Public speaking opportunities. My mom, sister, and I would work Pub Ed (Public Education) events, where we would teach fire safety to sometimes ten people and sometimes a couple hundred.  It can be a horrifying thought, but when we were little we did not think about it. We loved it and had fun teaching it.

Once I got older though, and had to present projects or papers. The thought of it started to make me scared. Public speaking after all is one of the top most feared things out there, and I was experiencing that. Then my mom found a club called toastmasters when I was 16. She was brought in to the club by one of her college professors, while she was working to get her master's program. She instantly fell in love with it. She began to drag me to the meetings with her. Even though I was not of age to be a meeting I feel in love with it too.

Just by listening to the meetings I learned so much, so that by the time I was 18 I was ready to join officially. I am still a beginner like in the video below the person who gave the ice breaker.

I truly think that this club has helped me a lot. I believe that though I am continuing to grow from the club. I wanted to share it with people here at the Nova Woodbridge Campus. The Annandale campus I believe it has a toastmasters group, they incorporate it within their communications classes, making their program a specialized communication program. I am right now trying to start a Toastmasters club at the Woodbridge Campus. I have two people right now interested and I need three more to get a room, so that we can start meetings here at the Nova campus.  I am going to have the club open to all Students, Facility, and staff, as well as if people have friends they believe should try toastmasters.

I would like to encourage you to try toastmasters, you learn a lot and it is truly a lot of fun. You learn not only how to be a public speaker without using filler words; you also learn listening and leadership skills as well as evaluating skills.

If you believe Toastmasters can help you too. Then please let me know my email is cee229@email.vccs.edu

I look forward to starting a club here at Nova and I hope you find it just as exciting as I do.



"Welcome To Toastmasters (Full Version)." YouTube. YouTube, 11 May 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.

Don't Wait to be a Hero!

Growing up in a volunteer fire department taught me two very good lessons that I would like to share with you. The first lesson would be that the people who do decide to be a volunteer EMT or firefighter do not always come from glamorous backgrounds. We have members in the department who are plumbers, teachers, work in pest control, nurses, paid fireman and Emt's as well as FBI agents. The thing is that no matter what your job is or what you do outside of the department. How much money you make, it does not matter. A person who works in Pest control is treated no different than our business owners or FBI agents. They are all there to get the job done, which is to help save people's lives.

Another lesson I learn is that even though people on the outside of the department see us as being heroes. From fighting in fires to saving someone's life when they have a heart attack. We do not see ourselves that way. We do the volunteer work out of the kindness of our heart and we realize just like in the video called "Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter" that it does not have to be a big call that we will make a difference by doing. It can be those calls where it may just be what some may say a minor call like a drunk or the flu or cold, to us we know that we have made a difference in that person's life, even if it is just for the night. By us just being there, or being able to truly help the person in their time of need.


An image I saw maybe about a year ago, helps to truly show how we feel. That image is-

 

 

This image I believe truly explains why we do what we do. Other people may not truly understand why we do it for free. It becomes such a rewarding experience just knowing that we did a good job. We were able to make the world a better place as a fireman, EMT, or Paramedic. Another lesson you learn is that you should never expect a "Thank You" from someone. Granted it is nice to get, the people have other things on their mind when we see them. So you need to be able to do the work without necessarily getting the recognition for it.

 

 

"You Need to Enable Javascript." Pinterest. Pinterest, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Requirements to Be a Volunteer Emergency Medical Technician

"The number of EMS volunteers has dropped 7% since September 11, 2001 and has not returned to pre-911 levels. "  September Eleven was a very sad time for all of us. It was a time when we lost a lot of good men and women, many of whom where firefighters, EMT's, or Policeman, or Soldiers. If my blog post in the past have made you curious on how to become a volunteer EMT. Then you are in luck! I will explain it to you know.

First thing I want to say is, deciding to be a EMT should not be taken lightly. If you are wanting to do this, then you need to realize that being a EMT is a huge commitment. Especially in your time, you need to be ready to comment and show up when you have duties or other jobs you have to do in the department you are working for. You need to know that training as it is takes up a lot of time. Not only for EMT school but for your other classes you are required, like CPR, Hazmat, CISM, Infection Control, and all your Nims courses. This is not just a one time deal either, for majority of the classes you will need to take yearly. As well as doing yearly physicals.

If you have decided that you have the time to be a volunteer EMT. Then you need to look in the local Volunteer Fire Departments in your area. You want to see where they are located and how they schedule meetings and duty crews(every department is different). You also want to find a department where you can get a long with the people there. That is close to you and you get excited about the idea of working with them.  Once you find that station go to their local website and check them out in more detail. As well as contacting their station and ask for a chief and let them know you are interested in joining, as well as trying to get a tour to see the station in person.

Once you have your station you will need to complete the application, background check, and a screening.  Once that department has determined that you are qualified to work with them then you will meet up with the New members officer who will guide you through getting your uniform, gear, and a duty crew. As well as signing you up for your classes. They will also go over all the rules and Bylaws the department may have.

Some departments have whats called the JR. program, which means that as long as you are 16 years old and have a parent consent form you may join. The Jr. can get the same training as the adults as well as they may have more chores or things they have to do.

Being in a fire department offers you a chance to take many different training opportunities, without you having to worry about paying for the class out of your pocket. Once you have your EMT depending on what department you are with you could go on and join the boat or bike crew or many others your department may have to offer.

Before you can even sign up for your EMT B class, you have to take your basics. You need CPR, CISM, Hazmat, and nims.

So I encourage you that if you are truly interested in joining the Fire Department Family to research it. You need to make sure you have the time patience and the ability to do the job. Some examples of some local Volunteer Fire Departments in the Northern Virginia area are OWL VFD , Dale City , Dumfries , and manassas . I hope that this has helped some people with giving some information on what exactly you must do to join.


"EMS Fast Facts." National Regestry for Emergency Medical Technician. NREMT, 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

Being a Volunteer EMT

Volunteering as a EMT, can be a truly amazing and awarding experience. You are able to be around great people who share the same passion as you do. A volunteer fireman or EMT will work during the weekdays from 6pm to 6am the next day. They will work all major holidays as well as work 24 hour shifts depending on your department sometimes longer. It is a experience that is truly rewarding because you are able to help people and be there for them when they are down.

Even though the EMT's job is a basic one, that does not mean that we are not qualified to do what we do or that we do not do much. In the YouTube video called EMT Basic training. This shows the relationship between the EMT's and Paramedics. For this post I would like to just focus on the EMT aspect of the job. A EMT will do everything you see in this video except giving any sort of IVs.

We learn in our training how to assess a pt. as quickly as possible so we can help that pt. faster. Whether it be for a traumatic incident or a medical emergency, we are there to try to ease you pain and to try to make you feel better or at the very least more comfortable till we get to the hospital. A EMT will collect vitals, Splint, and help many people who have many different emergency's. A EMT does so much then that, it is truly hard to explain in a blog like this. On everything a EMT will do.

A EMT is the one who is usually first on the scene of any call. They are there and even if it is a ALS call which just means it is a call that medics would take. There are still things we can do before the medics get there to help you receive the care you need sooner.

A ambulance will typically carry between 2-4 people in it. You always want at least a driver and a lead. Though it is always better to have more then two,  to help in a call. Also just because someone is a driver of a Ambulance that does not mean that they do not know what they are doing. Before that person was a driver they were either a fireman and EMT or even just a EMT or a paramedic. So the driver can still help out in calls as well because of there training.

 Also a fun fact about EMS according to the National Regestry which EMTs fallow is that " EMS treats approximately 25-30 million patients per year with annual expenditures of about $6.75 billion."



 "EMS Fast Facts." NREMT -. National Regestry of Emergency Medical Technician, 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

So What is the Difference between an EMT and a Paramedic?

Ambulances now are equipped to have the supplies on it, that not only the EMT’s need but also the Medics. So at a moment’s notice no matter the call the ambulance can have the supplies on it that they need so they save time by not having to wait for another vehicle to come and bring the supplies. The same ambulances EMT's may use on a call can later be used for the medics. The medics supplies are always keep in a secure spot. That is unless you are a medic you could not get to the supplies. The biggest difference between an EMT and a Paramedic is what they can do and the amount of training they have had.

EMT’s can do the basic things on a call like take a blood pressure, splint, and do anything as basic life supporters. The EMT's are usually referred to as the basic unit. We may do a lot of things but the EMT's do not administer any type of drugs. Other than Oxygen and there are a few other circumstances where we may give an epi pen, glucose, or a few more.  There are certain skills also with the extra schooling that medics have, they are able to do a lot more skills and things to help people because of this extra schooling.

Another big thing I got from First aid says that "A EMT's will usually get 120 - 150 hours of training, while paramedics get anywhere from 1,200 hours to 1,800 hours of training.

According the the National Registry which EMT and Paramedics fallow. "EMT-Basics undergo about 120 hours of training. EMTs are trained and certified to insert basic airways, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use an automated defibrillator, manage bleeding and shock, splinting and emergency childbirth. Paramedics undergo about 1,000-14,000 hours of training. Paramedics are trained and certified in advanced airways, perform cardiac monitoring, defibrillation and other electrical therapies for cardiac emergencies, start intravenous lines and administer medications. Both an EMT and a Medic will respond to medical emergencies and there is some times where we both are called to a call. Though both an EMT and Medics know what they need to do to help the patient and take them to the hospital. We also both have guidelines and rules we have to follow by.  EMT's can also be called EMS."

 Then paramedic programs often award two-year degrees." Whereas the EMT does not get a degree in it, but EMT’s often work hand and hand with the Medics (paramedic shortened).

If you ever wanted to get a job in this field, you would need both fire and medic.

Brouhard, Rod. "The Difference Between an EMT and a Paramedic." About.com First Aid. About, 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 06 Feb. 2013.

"EMS Fast Facts." National Regestry for Emergency Medical Technician. NREMT, 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.