For senior Chelsie Nelson, March 21st, 2008 started out as a regular frigid cold day at the Lansing Township Fire Department. Just as she and her preceptors (ride along instructors) sat down for lunch around 1300 hours [military time for one o’clock] the tones rang out for a MVA (motor vehicle accident). They jumped in the ambulance with the lights flashing and the sirens roaring as they raced to the scene.

Nelson said she wasn’t sure just how bad the accident was going to be, since they receive so many calls “you never know how serious they’re going to be”. Unfortunately, this was one of those times that a life was not going to be spared. A 54 year old Lansing woman died when a CATA bus collided with the Spartan cab she was riding in. Nelson said that as she looked around at the sight of everyone crouched around the female patient, bystanders gawking, and the loud idling noise from the fire trucks and ambulance, she felt that she was very prepared and handled the whole situation very well.

This is just one of many ride along experiences that Nelson has been on as a student in the EMT program at LCC. She has also ridden with Mercy Ambulance Service where she has transferred many non-emergency patients.

For its creation this year, The Senior EMT Academy has just seven high school students from many different school districts. All of them had to take some type of medical class prior to the academy.

“I took the EMS/Fire Science course last year. My instructor for that class told me about the new EMT Academy and helped me get in,” Nelson said.

Since this is the first year that the EMT Academy has been offered to high school students, and students are young there has been a close eye on them all year long, but Nelson says the students just give them all something to be proud of.

“I enjoy the praise that our class receives so often for being seven high school students in the Academy. It makes me very proud,” Nelson said.

With the academy being completely paid for, including books, uniforms, and equipment, Nelson saw this as a huge advantage.

“I knew from the beginning what a huge opportunity it would be and I felt it was the pathway to go in order to get started with my career,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s plan for the future is to become a licensed RN and work in the Emergency Room. Nelson’s instructor, Evelyn Barnum, sees the academy as a way for her to “excel” in the medical field.

“Chelsie is a very bright student and this program is going to help her tremendously with her future education in EMS and on her way to becoming an RN,” Barnum said.

Nelson says she is receiving many opportunities from the class. When Nelson graduates from the Academy in May, she will also be eligible to take the National Registry exam to receive her EMT license and get a job right out of high school. Nelson’s instructor and classmates say that they see a very bright future for her.

“Chelsie has put so much time and effort into this program,” said Evan Mize, one of Nelson’s classmates. “She has worked very hard to get this far and there is no doubt in my mind that she will achieve her goals in the medical field.”