LINK with the Durango Fire Protection District
Leading Internships for New Knowledge (LINK) is a program at Animas High School which allows juniors to find a three week internship that align with their passions, locally or farther. During these weeks, the juniors do not have classes and spend 30-40 hours a week with their mentors at their workplace. For more information visit ahsinternships.weebly.com.
I was fortunate to intern with the Durango Fire Protection District, the local fire department and ambulance services for our area (Durango, Colorado). "The mission of the Durango Fire Protection District is to provide an all risk service, consisting of; fire suppression of buildings, wildland and vehicle, emergency medical services/ambulance service including patient transport, rescue (water, rope, confined space, vehicle), fire prevention, fire code enforcement, public education, hazardous material response, to a population of 40,000 in approximately 325 square miles of southwestern Colorado." (http://www.durangofirerescue.org)
I was fortunate to intern with the Durango Fire Protection District, the local fire department and ambulance services for our area (Durango, Colorado). "The mission of the Durango Fire Protection District is to provide an all risk service, consisting of; fire suppression of buildings, wildland and vehicle, emergency medical services/ambulance service including patient transport, rescue (water, rope, confined space, vehicle), fire prevention, fire code enforcement, public education, hazardous material response, to a population of 40,000 in approximately 325 square miles of southwestern Colorado." (http://www.durangofirerescue.org)
The Process
The process I went through to get this internship was much simpler than most. Janet (our LINK coordinator) had multiple connections in the Durango Fire Protection District and I had gotten a good referral by a friend of mine that knew the EMS Chief, making it fairly easy to achieve getting the internship there. On top of it all, the District has taken interns from Animas High School before through the LINK program and was already more comfortable with the idea of having high school interns. Therefore, all I ended up doing was having a quick interview with the EMS Chief to go over what this internship would look like and what my schedule would be. The only challenge I came upon was the fear that my friend had talked me up too much.
How I choose my internship with the District was almost by accident. I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, yet I did not know specifically what. For my POL, we had to "fake apply" to different jobs. During that search, I stumbled on an ambulance service in Albuquerque that was looking for an EMT and"fake-applied" for it. When Janea saw that I was interested in this, she suggested that I do my LINK with the local ambulance services, the Durango Fire Protection District. I was thrilled. It sounded like it would be a great experience so I told her that it would be great if she helped me get in contact with them. A few days later, she got me in contact with the District. In the mean time, I had also asked my friend with the Hesperus Ski Patrol I was patrolling at if they knew anyone in the District, he answered yes and introduced me to his friend he was just about to ski with, coincidentally his friend was the EMS chief and the person Janea had contacted. After, meeting with him for a bit, I was fortunate to get the internship.
I was very excited for my internship and thought a lot about it before going. I really hoped to leave it knowing what I wanted to do for my life or at least come out having a better idea of what I wanted to do for a career. I also wanted to leave my internship not wanting to, because that would have meant that I had a really good time. Furthermore, I wanted to bring new insights and ideas to the District and leave them with a good impression of myself and what Animas students are like.
How I choose my internship with the District was almost by accident. I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, yet I did not know specifically what. For my POL, we had to "fake apply" to different jobs. During that search, I stumbled on an ambulance service in Albuquerque that was looking for an EMT and"fake-applied" for it. When Janea saw that I was interested in this, she suggested that I do my LINK with the local ambulance services, the Durango Fire Protection District. I was thrilled. It sounded like it would be a great experience so I told her that it would be great if she helped me get in contact with them. A few days later, she got me in contact with the District. In the mean time, I had also asked my friend with the Hesperus Ski Patrol I was patrolling at if they knew anyone in the District, he answered yes and introduced me to his friend he was just about to ski with, coincidentally his friend was the EMS chief and the person Janea had contacted. After, meeting with him for a bit, I was fortunate to get the internship.
I was very excited for my internship and thought a lot about it before going. I really hoped to leave it knowing what I wanted to do for my life or at least come out having a better idea of what I wanted to do for a career. I also wanted to leave my internship not wanting to, because that would have meant that I had a really good time. Furthermore, I wanted to bring new insights and ideas to the District and leave them with a good impression of myself and what Animas students are like.
My LINK Project
As there are tight confidentiality 'rules' that I had to adhere to, coming up with a project was difficult for me. As a solution, I decided to 'debrief' each day and call I went on (of course all of which I had to keep out specific identifying details). I chose to do this because I noticed that after each big call, every one of the firefighters would sit down and talk about it: what they've learned, what they could have improved on, highlights, strengths of others, weaknesses, etc. I chose to do this every day of my internship in my notes and captured highlights, lessons, new knowledge, etc.
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Reflection
Coming into LINK, I was slightly surprised at how much the skills I already had helped in my experience. One of those skills was listening and asking questions. These two skills were crucial to my learning experience, because if I wasn't able to ask questions and listen to their answers I would not have been able to learn as much as I had. Plus, by asking questions, I was able to show my interest in the things at hand and gain more respect and attention because I showed that I wanted to learn. Another interesting skill that helped me out was being good humored. When I was at the District we joked around and teased each other a lot, and because I am used to this and often tease and joke around with my friends and family, I was able to connect with the firefighters faster and easier. This also made it easier to get comfortable around them pretty fast, as it was a more familiar environment.
The most important skill that I had gained in my experience with LINK was the ability to communicate with random strangers. I had to connect with a new set of 7-8 firefighters each day of my internship, and each day, after meeting each new shift, at the end of the day, I did not want to leave. I met so many great people, and was surprised at how comfortable and close I became with some of them. On top of it all, I also had to connect with our patients, some not even from this area, and be able to make small talk and keep them calm. The cool thing about this is that it is not only a great life skill to have but also a necessary skill for this particular 'job'.
Being able to talk with strangers is an important skill, yet, I have also learned the importance of being comfortable with silence. I have always been uncomfortable with silence and found it very awkward, always feeling the need to fill it. Yet, occasionally, there is a person who really does not want to talk, whether it is a patient or a close friend. Sometimes there is just nothing to be said, and here is when you must be comfortable with silence. over the course of this internship I've encountered some patients who did not want to talk or times when we were waiting for calls and everyone was just doing their own thing; and slowly I started to get comfortable with silence and just carrying on in my own thoughts as well. Its a good skill to have because then none of your conversations will be filler and all of them will be meaningful.
Overall, this was a great experience for me. Im really glad that the District allowed me to spend time shadowing them and that LINK gave me the opportunity to do so. I hope the District continues to host high school interns and that Animas continues their LINK program because this was truly one of the most educational and impactful experiences I've had in my entire school career. After this internship, my passion for medicine has only been further instilled, and I have found that I really enjoy the thrill behind being a first responder. Ive found a path that I want to pursue and advice that will not be forgotten. Years of schooling does not compare at all to a hands on experience.
The most important skill that I had gained in my experience with LINK was the ability to communicate with random strangers. I had to connect with a new set of 7-8 firefighters each day of my internship, and each day, after meeting each new shift, at the end of the day, I did not want to leave. I met so many great people, and was surprised at how comfortable and close I became with some of them. On top of it all, I also had to connect with our patients, some not even from this area, and be able to make small talk and keep them calm. The cool thing about this is that it is not only a great life skill to have but also a necessary skill for this particular 'job'.
Being able to talk with strangers is an important skill, yet, I have also learned the importance of being comfortable with silence. I have always been uncomfortable with silence and found it very awkward, always feeling the need to fill it. Yet, occasionally, there is a person who really does not want to talk, whether it is a patient or a close friend. Sometimes there is just nothing to be said, and here is when you must be comfortable with silence. over the course of this internship I've encountered some patients who did not want to talk or times when we were waiting for calls and everyone was just doing their own thing; and slowly I started to get comfortable with silence and just carrying on in my own thoughts as well. Its a good skill to have because then none of your conversations will be filler and all of them will be meaningful.
Overall, this was a great experience for me. Im really glad that the District allowed me to spend time shadowing them and that LINK gave me the opportunity to do so. I hope the District continues to host high school interns and that Animas continues their LINK program because this was truly one of the most educational and impactful experiences I've had in my entire school career. After this internship, my passion for medicine has only been further instilled, and I have found that I really enjoy the thrill behind being a first responder. Ive found a path that I want to pursue and advice that will not be forgotten. Years of schooling does not compare at all to a hands on experience.