Emergency Medical Services Week (EMS) was established in 1974 by President Gerald Ford as a way to honor those who dedicated their lives to serving others in times of emergencies. It continued for four more years before it was reinstated by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in 1982. These volunteers and their services (police, fire, ambulance…first responders) have been celebrated every year since.
This year, we are focusing on the Eagle Grove Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who volunteer their hours to run the ambulance. While their numbers fluctuate up and down from year-to-year for various reasons, they currently have 14 members on the service.
“The turnaround for crew members varies,” said member Lashelle Burger. “Some join the service and decide this is not their thing, and that’s okay. Others join and love the adrenaline rush.”
Volunteer Lori Hungate is the longest serving member of the Eagle Grove team. She has been saving lives for 33 years.
“I started in 1987 because I like taking care of people and making sure they stay safe,” said Hungate.
“She is the best,” said Burger, adding that her starting wage was only $5 an hour. “Can you imagine? Saving lives for $5 an hour? She is the definition of a true hero.”
On average, Hungate said she takes between 50 – 100 hours of call a month, but this past year she took almost 200 hours each month due to the need for times to be covered.
“The hardest part about being on the service is when you get paged out, hoping it’s not your kid or a family member,” said Hungate.
But the gratitude of the people they help, and of the others on the EMT service, makes it all worth it for her.
Hungate’s other medical experience includes working at a nursing home for 10 years, having worked as a CNA, and as a surgical tech at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion for nearly 31 years now.
Janet Fuller has been on the EG EMT since 2012, joining because she enjoys helping people. Flutter averages between 150 – 170 hours of call per month.
“The hardest part of the job for me is when you are on a call and things happen that are out of your control,” she said.
Fuller encourages others to think about joining the service because they have a close family-like atmosphere and you can schedule hours that work for you to volunteer.
Fuller has worked as a medical secretary/EKG, stress tests, and EEG in the past.
Becky Phipps has been on the EG service for 2.5 years and fills the role of driver. She takes call between 50 and 75 hours per month and joined because the service was short-handed and she knew what an essential service the ambulance is to the Eagle Grove area.
“The most rewarding part of the mob is when I see someone later who thanks me or when the quick response is what saved someone’s life,” said Phipps. “I want others to think about volunteering. EMS is a service that needs to continue. I want to do my part and hope others do the same in the event I ever need them. We have a great group and always have a need for more. There are times we need a second or even third crew but do not have enough volunteers.”
Tim Buhr has been an EG volunteer for two years, currently serving as an advanced EMT, taking call about 50 hours a month.
“I wanted to be a part of the service to help out by using my skills that I learned to better the service,” said Buhr. “It’s rewarding to see my work do good in the community…it is rewarding and challenging, and the opportunity to grow yourself in this profession is abundant.”
Buhr has spent 24 years in the EMS profession and 14 years as a CPR instructor.
Lashelle Burger has been a member of the EG service for 14 months. In addition to being an EMT, she serves as the assistant service director and EMT president.
“I wanted to give back to the community, help those in need, and be a positive role model for others,” said Burger of her decision to join.
Burger volunteers about 300 per month, despite the fact she says it’s hard to be called away from family, having to leave so quickly when someone else is in need. But being part of the crew's family dynamic and being a part of an essential service makes it all worthwhile for her.
Burger has an associates in applied science degree in medical assisting and was a CNA for more than 10 years.
“We’re always looking for energetic individuals to join our team, be it as a driver, and EMT, advanced EMT, or a paramedic,” she said.
Mack Sisson has been on the service a little more than a year now, serving as a driver. He does so because he likes helping people in the community and giving back to the community. Sisson takes anywhere from 100 to 200 hours of call a month.
“The hardest part is seeing some of the things we see,” admitted Sisson.
But he does it because, “What if you called 9-1-1 and no one answered the call?” he asked.
Sisson also has many hours of firefighting training as he has also served on the Eagle Grove Fire Department for the past 14 years.
Leland Williams, who is also an Eagle Grove police officer and Eagle Grove fire fighter, has served as an advanced EMT for Eagle Grove for the past year. He enjoys being able to help the community in a variety of ways, which is why when he’s not on duty as a police officer, he answers between 40 – 50 hours of ambulance calls a month. Williams has been involved with EMS services since 2000.
Jaimie Gump has been on the Eagle Grove ambulance crew for the past eight months as an EMT.
“It’s something I always wanted to do. The unknown and complexity of each call makes me feel alive. Every call is different,” said Gump.
Gump takes 25 – 50 hours of call each month but said she wishes she could take more. At the time, that is difficult to work in with her full time job requirements. She has worked in healthcare for about 15 years as a CNA-CMA.
“Being in the medical field, no matter what title you have, takes a certain type of person. You have to be doing it for the right reasons. The trust people have in you when they make the call for help is my reward,” said Gump. “The EG EMS is a great group of people. Being a part of the service makes me feel like I have a purpose, an impact, and hopefully makes a positive impact on someone’s life.”
Tana Motley has been an ambulance driver for the EG service for the past 10 months, volunteering between 80 – 120 a month.
“I wanted to know I was making a difference, no matter how big or small it may be,” said Motley about why she joined.
But just because she is a driver and not an EMT, it doesn’t make it any easier when difficult calls come. She said the toughest part of the job is when you answer a call and despite giving it your all, it just wasn’t enough.
Motley has experience as a CNA and has worked with mentally handicapped individuals for 15 years.
Sandy McGrath has found time in her busy schedule of Public Health and being Mayor of Eagle Grove to also serve on the EMT crew for the last nine months. She serves as an EMT nurse exempt and admits she joined because of her daughter’s (Lashelle Burger) persistence.
“I am proud to be able to serve our community,” said McGrath.
Her medical experiences include being a registered nurse and a physician office lab tech, to mention a few.
Patricia Aviles has also been on the Eagle Grove ambulance crew for nine months. She fills the role of driver and secretary.
“I chose to be part of the service because I care and want to help others. What better way to spend my time,” said Aviles.
She added that it’s rewarding going home after each call knowing that she and the other EMTs made a difference in a patient’s life.
Aviles also has previous medical experience as a CNA, TMA, and in a medical office.
Jozey Gump is one of the newest members to the team. She is currently serving the role of driver, but is taking classes to become a full-fledged EMT. She became interested in joining because of her mom, Jaimie, being part of the crew.
“This is a very rewarding field and it is worth it to become involved,” she said.
Gump has previous experience as a veterinary assistant/technician.
Leslie Cooper is also in her first year as part of the Eagle Grove EMT service. She is a driver, but will be taking her EMT certification test very soon.
“I want to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me,” said Cooper. “The most rewarding part is getting to know people in the community and helping people for the best possible outcome.”
While she admits the hardest part is seeing people at their worst, she loves being able to provide them with a comforting hand and a smile when situations seem at their worst.
Cooper is a pre-med student at Drake and is working at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion as a medical scribe.
As is to be expected, all of the Eagle Grove ETM service volunteers say they wouldn’t be able to do this job without the love and support of their families. So we also want to give a shout out to all of them as well for keeping things going on the homefront while their loved ones are away helping others.
It’s hard to get a precise number of how many calls EMTS have responded to so far in 2021, but according to Burger, there have already been 145 calls where a report was required. They’ve also been called out for fire and law enforcement stand-by, lift assists, ect., but if a patient doesn’t require medical assistance, those are documented separately.
In celebration of EMS Week, the Eagle Grove EMTs spent a day with Eagle Grove Elementary kindergarteners talking to them about emergency safety and prevention. In addition, they also partnered with Fareway during the month of May for a round-up promotion, asking patrons to round-up their grocery bill to the nearest dollar with extra funds going to the ambulance service. It’s been a great fundraiser for them.
If you are interested in becoming an EMT, the Eagle Grove service would love to have you. There is a 12-week course at Iowa Central this summer and a fall class that is approximately 18 weeks long. Cost averages $2,000, but according to Burger, the City of Eagle Grove will cover these expenses if you sign a contract with them to work 75 hours per month or a total of 1800 hours within a two-year time period. In addition, there is a quarterly bonus of $300 for volunteering a minimum of 50 hours each month consecutively and attending all meetings/trainings.
“Joining the EMS has been a life-changing experience for myself as well as many others on the service,” said Bruger. The chance to be a part of something so meaningful is the greatest feeling. If you love to help people in need, EMS is your spot. We get the chance to meet new people every day, and every call is different. There is nothing routine about the world of EMS. The team atmosphere our crew has working together on a call is like no other. Come join our crew!”
