Taylor Phillips
Staff Writer
During the day, senior Ashley Brownsberger is a normal high school student, but once the bell rings she trains as an Emergency Medical Technician.
Brownsberger took an emergency medical response (EMR) class last year before she took the official EMT class at the SoCal Regional Occupational Center (SCROC). SCROC is a local occupational center located in Torrance with programs offered to South Bay students. SCROC also provides career technical programs for students to receive job training in various professions. The EMR class that Brownsbereger took taught basic life-saving and cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills.
“I took an emergency medical response class when I was a junior from SCROC,” Brownsberger said. “If you are a high school student, you have to take the EMR class before you take the EMT class, [and] I took the EMR class because I was interested in the topic, and after taking the class, I was super interested in taking the EMT class.”
Brownsberger enrolled in the 18-week course and went to class at SCROC Mondays through Thursdays from 6-10 p.m. In the EMT class, Brownsberger learned to help trauma patients in cardiovascular emergencies and car accidents.
“It was tough having to manage taking class and going to school,” Brownsberger said. “I was the only high schooler in my class and it took a lot of time and commitment. It was very hands on and you had to pass every test to be able to move on in the course.”
Brownsberger has always wanted to become either a firefighter or ambulance personnel. In order to become an EMT, a person must be 18 years old, earn their EMT certificate and pass the EMT class.
“I’ve always wanted to help people in whatever career I chose,” Brownsberger said. “I thought that becoming an EMT would be the next step.”
In order, to pass the course, students must complete at least 40 hours of ambulance ride-alongs with professional EMTs and ambulance technicians. During the ride-alongs, Brownsberger helped the ambulance technicians with patients who endured accident or trauma related injuries.
“We would get different calls [during the ride-along],” Brownsberger said. “I got a heart attack victim, one victim had their head split open, and car crash [victims], [and] I would do the vitals on the patients or anything I could to help the situation.”
Brownsberger received her EMT certificate on Jan. 22 and is now a registered EMT. She can now work as either an ambulance technician or train to become a firefighter. Her next step is to graduate from Mira Costa and see where her EMT training takes her next.
“Once I get my diploma from Costa, I can go straight into getting a job with an ambulance company or start my way into the fire department to become a firefighter,” Brownsberger said. “I am planning on hopefully becoming an on-campus EMT in college and eventually going into [the] fire [department].”
HOMETOWN HERO: Senior Ashley Brownsberger poses in her EMT attire. Brownsberger took the prerequisites to become an EMT at the SoCal Regional Occupational Center and earned her certificate on Jan. 22. Photo Courtesy of Ashley Brownsberger
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