When I moved back to my hometown of Riverton, Wyoming in October 2017, I had no idea where God would be leading me as far as a career path. I had just finished a 35-year career as a music director and an abundant work history as an admin for attorneys, engineers, an electronics firm, a glass company, a reporter/writer for newspapers, and...the health care industry. Working in different cities, towns, and settings instilled a certain confidence wherever I landed, and so, in true "Carol" form, I hit the ground running.
A little history...I worked at Sutter Amador Hospital in the EVS/Engineering and Finance departments, and ended up as the Medical Staff Coordinator. I worked at Interim HealthCare Hospice and just loved all of the hospice nurses, so sweet and caring! Being an editor/writer for newspapers, newsletters, and magazines was fun. Being a news reporter was tedious, but exciting. I remember going to a fire that was burning in the foothills near Sutter Creek...getting photos of the firemen fighting the fire made a lasting impression. (Especially since the EMTs had to treat me for smoke inhalation. Just had to get the money shot!)
Looking back, I've realized that I've never been bored! As someone who's never really mastered the ability to sit still, even as a kid...the running theme throughout my life has been: I want to help people. With variations on that theme, the jobs, groups, and organizations I've been a part of always came back to that spirit of volunteerism. A lot time and resourcees throughout my life have been spent doing just that. Helping people.
So when I hit the job market grounds running in November 2017, never did it enter my mind that, within a month, I would land a job with Guardian Flight. I had to commute from Riverton to the Lander ambulance station every day, but believe me, I was not complaining! Ever sit in commute traffic in 'Sacramental' (Sacramento)? It IS mental!
I got to know both the ground and flight crews, and was able to travel to the different flight bases. It was during this time that I got an understanding of both operations and how they work together. I eventually had the opportunity to switch from flight to ground EMS, and became the editor of a quarterly newsletter, "The Horizon: Where Air Meets the Ground", which featured articles, crewmember spotlights, even recipes! (Hey, there are some EMTs who are really good cooks!) But it also gave me great perspective about a world that no one else sees. A day in the life of an EMT. Station life with radios and pagers going off, lights and sirens, crews coming and going,
With any job, change happens. Going through the transitions from Guardian Flight, Guardian Flight/Ground, to AMR to GMR, to Frontier Ambulance gave me insight on just how hard it is on all of the crews (and hospitals!) to adjust. But through it all, they just still keep going and going...doing a challenging job that most could never do. They're helping people. Saving people.
As EMS Week comes to a close, I want to thank God for bringing me back to my EMS family, and for giving me the experiences, opportunities, and trainings that enable me to help both our EMTs and my community. And as we all once again hit the ground running and come to an even bigger transition, there will come a time and opportunity where the people of Fremont County and the Wind River Indian Reservation can save the future of our EMS services.
The Joint Committee on Funding Key Services (JCFKS) and the Regional Ambulance Service Evaulation Committee (RASEC) have been working very hard and helping FCAG and the County Commissioners in gathering and reviewing (correct) information and data in order to move forward on how the future of EMS will look in Fremont County. I strongly encourage you to sit in on their meetings which are Wednesdays at 12:00 PM at WRTA or via Zoom, and if you cannot attend, get on their email list in order to be correctly informed of the progress. (You can eat your lunch while you watch/listen.)
These are public meetings, and public comment is welcomed! This is a way you can help, and I hope you will, so that our EMS providers can continue helping and saving lives for years to come...doing the job that most people cannot do.
Carol Harper
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