Rescue Training Challenges CVU Senior
by Kelsey Darby and Kaya Yurieff,
May 20, 2010, page 10.....

Note: At the end of this article there is a list of the Graduation Challenge Projects presented on May 14 by Charlotte seniors at CVU.

Giles Crelly-Byers wakes up early every Saturday morning to work with the Charlotte Volunteer Rescue Squad. He is there from seven in the morning until one in the afternoon. He decided to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) this past September for his Graduation Challenge Project. 

Crelly-Byers said, “I chose this because I was looking to do something that incorporated community service and the medical field.” When Crelly-Byers started out, he wasn’t sure what to expect. He said in his paper, however, that he knew one thing: “The process would be long and rewarding.” Keeping true to that statement, in the five months that he has been working on his project, he has not become an EMT. In fact, the past five months have merely given him some basic training while he completed most of the preparation for the EMT course. Crelly-Byers wrote in his paper, “What I have learned about is the process by which a person applies to a rescue department, how one trains prior to an EMT course, and finally, how to respond when an emergency call is received.”  

He explained the complicated process of becoming a new member of the EMT squad. This includes filling out an application, being voted on to become a probationary member (probation lasts six months), attending meetings and trainings, and also the final step, being voted on to become a new member of the squad. Crelly-Byers said, “As a new member under the age of 18, I was only obligated to complete 24 hours per month,” which, he added, he did not have any trouble completing. However, he had to get used to the decreased amount of leisure time, since he was putting in so many hours at Charlotte Rescue.  

In his paper, he quoted an EMT and Supply Officer, Paul Gates, a volunteer in the emergency services for several years, who said, “The time commitment is big. You put a lot in and get it back, tenfold. It’s just a great thing to do, and you save lives.” 

One of the first things a new probationary member must complete is the Priority Tasks Checklist. This consists of a review of the standard operating procedures, including rules and regulations. Crelly-Byers also explained that he learned how to respond to an emergency call and check vital signs, such as blood pressure and pulse. He said applying this knowledge is just as important as knowing how to use the various instruments, etc. 

On March 6, 2010, all of Crelly-Byer’s training and preparation was put to the test. He responded to his first traumatic call: a car crash. This was only his fourth call, so he was not sure what to expect.  

In his Graduation Challenge paper he writes, “As we listened on the radio, it was clear that this call was severe. I did not have any clue as to how severe, until I arrived on the scene. As we drove along Route 7, cars were lined up behind several fire trucks, completely shutting down three miles of the road. Lights flashed vibrantly red, white and blue in every direction. We were finally on the intense call I had wanted to experience, only now I was not so sure.”  
The scene was a gruesome one: two totaled cars, one completely indistinguishable with no roof or windows. The passenger of the car had been removed prior to Crelly-Byers’ arrival and was in critical condition. A young man, not much older than Crelly-Byers, screamed as firefighters used the Jaws of Life to lift the car frame off his leg. Crelly-Byers comments, “There were other injuries throughout his body; but we were mainly focused on his leg which was worse than anything I had ever seen before… With the crew chief’s assistance, I bandaged the place where flesh was missing and attempted to place gauze over the knee; however, the wound was so large and bloody that little could be done.” 

Crelly-Byers reflects, “The crash made me think more about how serious calls can be and why practice and training is so important. Also, it made me think about how speeding can be dangerous. The most memorable thing I learned was to remain calm and focused during serious emergencies.”           

Crelly-Byer is enrolled in an EMT course this June. He believes that the preparation and training he has had as a probationary member has given him the knowledge and experience to be a successful EMT. “By gaining this base of knowledge, I have become much more prepared and comfortable with the emergency medical services.”

(Kelsey Darby and Kaya Yurieff are students in Robin Lauzon's journalism class at CVU.)
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2010 CVU Seniors from Charlotte
and their Grad Challenge Projects:

Zoe Adams, Imaging the World: Ultrasound Research Project
Christopher Barry, American Sign Language
Andrew Blake, Bakery Business
Francesca Blanchard, Documentary on Internally Displaced Burundian Refugees
Leila Bower, DJ‐ing and Radio Work
Stephanie Burns, Sewing Bags
Giles Crelly‐Byers, Becoming a Member of the Charlotte Volunteer Rescue Squ
Lauren Cynewski, Cooking on the Trail
Tabor DeGroot ,Training for a Triathalon
Kylie DeGroot, Learning How to Accompany Oneself ‐ Piano and Vocals
William Dubuc, Volunteer Firefighting
Margaret Dunsmore, Mentoring and Tutoring African Refugees
Henry Elitzer, Training for Lacrosse
Jonathan Enos, Landscaping
Alexander Farrell, Coaching Baseball
Alessandra Ferrentino, Becoming Fluent in Italian
Jesse French, Audio Engineering
Jacob Gager, Forgotten Neighborhood: a Photo Essay
Lucy Halvorson, COTS Ski‐a‐thon
Casey Hammond, The Big Hunt
Taylor Harris, Car Detailing
Kendra Haven, Writing a Fiction Novel
John Heaslip, Building an Adirondack Guideboat
Hannah Hess, Every Kid Deserves a Bike
Mason Hill, Making a Ski Movie
Jacob Hinsdale, Hiking the Long Trail
Peter Hiser, Learning to Ski Patrol
William Hurd, Massage Therapy
Laura Jackson, Telemark Skiing and Backcountry Survival
Annie Jackson, Stained Glass Techniques
Lindsay Kingston, Fuel‐Efficient Stoves for People of Uganda
Jessie Laberge, Investigating Large Animal Vet Services
Caleb Ladue, 52 Kids Foundation in Uganda
Samantha Lane, For the Love of VT
Rachael Leary, Learning to Play the Piano
Andrew Leckerling, Jazz Composition
Jacob Lee, Developing and Maintaining a Healthy Body
Tyler Lewis, Learning to Hunt with a Bow and Arrow
Katherine Litke, Small Business and Local Organic Catering
Whitney Lussier, Program Music: Composing to Tell a Story
Jobeth Mahan‐Tenney, Artistic Expression through Shirts
Ashley Martin, How to Drill a Bowling Ball
Bridget Masterson, Farriering
Colleen C. McCarthy, Tennis Tournament for Autism Awareness
Ethan McDonald, Architectural Design
Christopher McGinnis, Woodworking
James Neiley, MaDiem Fashion Show
Arles Netherwood‐Schwesig, Improving a Jeep Wrangler
Joshua Olsen, Graphic Tee‐shirt Design
Dillon Palmer, Law Enforcement Careers
Zachary Pete, Volunteering at Hinesburg Animal Hospital
Kerry Ramsden, Dislexia and How it Affects Struggling Readers
William Raszka, Snowboarding Video
Michael Russell, Learning to Cook
Jessica Spadaccini, Hospitality
Rachel Thut, Creating a Jewelry Collection
Joseph Trotter, History of Robots in Field of Surgery
Emma Volk, The Art of Classical French Pastries
Jameson Voll, The Art of Improvisational Piano
Tyler Weith, Riding to Music
William White, Building a Kayak
Angel Young, Poultry Farming