Bridging the gap between education and medical training, EMT certification course teacher Mary Turano’s efforts allow for students to learn professional emergency skills.
The ELHS administration unanimously agreed to recognize and appreciate Ms. Turano’s implementation of the EMT certification course into the school curriculum beginning in the 2023-24 school year. She was awarded the Viking Valor award for her efforts.
“I was surprised and very, very honored. I do what I do because I love teaching. I do what I do because I love the medical profession. I was very happy and very pleased that they recognized me for that,” Ms. Turano said.
The Viking Valor award is given to an ELHS member recognized for going above and beyond. Award winners show an authentic representation of what an East Lyme “Viking” is meant to be.
“She juggles a lot of things at once and she’s really, really good at it,” EMT student senior Janelle Fan said.
The implementation of the course took a great deal of dedication for Ms. Turano and others involved. Ms. Turano described it as a “multi-step” process.
First, Ms. Turano had to become an Emergency Medical Services Instructor (EMSI), and then a certified EMT. Affiliation with a department in Flanders Firehouse and East Lyme Ambulances for two years was also required. She lastly submitted a syllabus, pacing guide, and certifications to the state. In all, this process was six years in the making.
This allowed ELHS to be recognized as an Eastern CT Youth Healthcare Initiative Pipeline School, as few schools provide this program to students.
In Ms. Turano’s class, students should expect to learn basic emergency skills as well as taking suicide prevention and human trafficking courses, embedded in the curriculum. They are also given hands-on opportunities such as riding in ambulances.
The course does not only set up students interested in the EMT profession for success. A variety of students take the course to prepare for their future.
The class provides certification for students wanting to go into nursing, first responding, police, fire, and paramedics.
“You get to learn basic emergency care. I think it’ll be really helpful for anyone who wants to go into the medical field,” Fan said.
Ms. Turano has partnered with CT hires, which is a Connecticut-based placement for careers. These additional teacher roles provide insight on their experiences and what their jobs consist of. This exposes students to additional perspectives.
“It helps me build relationships with people outside my classroom. There’s a lot of EMT’s that come, and I get to talk to them, and they get to teach me their skills,” EMT student Candy Xu said.
After continuous hard work, the course has continued to fulfill Ms. Turano in knowing that students are having opportunities to learn powerful skills that ultimately save lives.
“They’re stepping outside of their comfort zones to become really sociably, civically minded individuals. And I love that. I love the fact that they’re proud of themselves. I’m proud of them,” Ms. Turano said.
