By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Attention young ladies, aged 14 to 18, of the Lambertville area: Are you interested in becoming a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) or firefighter?
If so, here’s a chance for an in-depth look at those possibilities. While you look, keep in mind that your hometown needs more emergency service volunteers.
Set for Aug. 16 and 17 at the Union Firehouse on Main Street in Lambertville is an all-girls emergency services weekend.
"It’ll be a full-weekend sleepover camp," said Jennifer Fernandez, a member of the Lambertville-New Hope Area Rescue Squad and one of the organizers of the event. "On Saturday, our instructors will talk about what’s involved in being an EMT."
All five of the instructors — Ms. Fernandez is one of them — will be women.
"We thought the girls might be more willing to consider attending if they knew the instructors were all female," Ms. Fernandez said.
After learning about what training is required to become a state-certified EMT and what sort of duties being an EMT requires, the girls will sleep over at the firehouse, under supervision.
Noting that there are many female firefighters all over the country, Ms. Fernandez said that, on Aug. 17, the girls will journey to the Hunterdon County firefighter training center.
"They’ll learn some basic firefighting skills from the instructors there," she said. "One of the things the girls will learn how to do is draft water."
Drafting water involves drawing water for a source, such as a lake or pond, in order to pump it onto a fire. Drafting is often used in rural areas where there are no fire hydrants.
Ms. Fernandez hopes the program will spur some girls to become emergency service volunteers. Levels of voluntarism have been declining across the country for a number of years.
"We’re trying to increase the number of people on the membership rosters of our first aid and firefighting units," she said.
To find out more, go to www.cityoflambertvillefiredepartment.com.

