This spring, a Barrow County student had the opportunity to participate in a trial job shadowing program with Barrow County Emergency Services.
“We had been approached several times over the last few years,” said Barrow County Emergency Services public information officer Lt. Scott Dakin. “When I was approached about this student, I spoke with interim chief John Skinner and we decided to do a pilot program.”
Student Madison Morgan emailed the department and asked for a chance to learn what it is really like to be a paramedic. Morgan, a student at Barrow County Schools Performance Learning Center (PLC), realized that she wanted to become a paramedic after visiting a paramedic class during a trip to Gwinnett Technical College. Morgan’s goal is to work as a paramedic and then later study to become a doctor.
Morgan learned from several different personnel during her time at the department. Morgan had the opportunity to spend time with Dakin, battalion chief Mike Stoops, firefighter Frank Queen, Jeremy Thayer, Rob Aldred, Lt. Ernie P. Weant and the crew of Station 7.
Morgan said the experience taught her a great deal.
“E-M-S, they stand for ‘emergency medical services’ to the rest of the world. However, they have a deeper meaning to me,” she said. “In my heart, it stands for a young father working a long twenty-four hour shift away from his beloved child to ensure the safety of another child, a middle-aged hard worker standing for hours on end collecting money for burn victims and a community member involved in so many different things for so many different people.”
Morgan explained that she considers herself blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with various EMS personnel and thanked the members of the department for allowing her to spend time with them.
“I would just like to thank Barrow County Emergency Services and all of the stations that reached out their hand to aid me in my aspirations to follow their hard-to-fill footsteps,” she said. “You have forever changed my perspective on what it really means to be a part of ‘EMS.’ The experiences, opinions, advice, and personalities will never leave my heart. As cliché as it may sound, you all have a place in my heart and prayers as my personal heroes. May God bless you for all that you do and keep you safe so that one day I will be able to stand among the world’s best - a member of an EMS crew.”
Dakin said the test program was a success and once a new chief is named, the department will decide whether or not to continue the program.
“It was a pleasure to ride along with Madison and get to know this very intelligent young lady,” Dakin said. “Wherever she goes she will be an asset as a Paramedic and when she becomes a doctor the experiences she has as a medic will make her an even better doctor. I wish her and all the 2010 Barrow County graduates well in their life. May they all live life to the fullest.”
