Name: Jessica Seaboldt
From: Owensboro, Kentucky
Grade: Sophmore in College
School: Brescia University
Votes: 0 
I use to volunteer for two first aid squads. One was Highland Park
First Aid and the other was Kendall Park First Aid. I choose to
volunteer there because I grew up in an emergency services family. My
dad was a fire fighter growing up. Both my parents and brothers were
on the first aid squads. This also helped me feel like I was a
helping hand in the community. I volunteered for a total of 4 years.
In those 4 years I gained an education and became an emergency
medical technician. Volunteering on aa first aid squad means that you
are first responding to medical emergencies in your town. I would get
on an ambulance when the tone dropped. We go into people’s homes
who call for assistance. I would take blood pressures, check pulses,
assist with bleeding control, provide rehab on fire scenes, perform
CPR, and transport people to the hospital. One call that stands out
to me was my first CPR job. We responded to a house for someone who
fell off the treadmill. They became unresponsive and needed CPR. I
assisted on doing compressions and breathing for our patient. I also
gave support to the family members. I remember breathing for him the
entire way to the hospital. About 4 months later I had the pleasure
of meeting the man whose life we saved. He gave us our CPR save pins
and gave me the hugest hug. It was so nice knowing that I assisted in
bringing someone back from the dead. It’s such a satisfying
feeling. One of the biggest challenges about volunteering on a first
aid squad is the things you see. I saw things at age 16 that no 16
year old should have to see. But, I feel like all the bad things
assisted my growth as an adult. I suffered with severe anxiety
problems. In aiding the sick I realized the problems I thought were
really bad; were not as bad as some people have it. Riding on a first
aid squad inspired my future career goal of becoming a social worker.
The most satisfying part of my volunteer experience was assisting
those on the worst day of their lives. Even if I was able to make one
person’s day a little better it meant the world to me. I have
learned to not take things for granted. I wouldn’t give up the
experience I had volunteering for anything. I actually can not wait
to get back on the ambulance again.
