Retired ambulance gives Huot students hands-on experience

LACONIA — Students at the Huot Career and Technical Center are one step closer to receiving emergency medical technician certification, thanks to the loan of an ambulance from the fire department.

Leaders in the program received the vehicle last week. It’s in the Huot parking lot, on the campus of Laconia High School, and will soon be used to give tech school students the opportunity for hands-on experience in a simulation of real-world environments.  

The city has two new ambulances on order, with the first expected in April. Councilors approved the purchase of another used ambulance at their meeting on Dec. 8. The rescue vehicle loaned to the Huot is an old, out-of-service ambulance that’s been repurposed many times over. 

Dave Warrender, director at the Huot, had been looking for a used ambulance to serve as a teaching tool for a while. At one point, Warrender noticed old ambulances are sometimes available on websites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, and reached out to Fire Chief Tim Joubert to inquire about auction yards that may sell them. The timing worked out perfectly for Joubert to loan their extra vehicle to the tech school.

“The timing was great,” Warrender said. “Basically, for us, it's going to be a simulation tool — what it’s like when you’re actually cramped up in there.

“This is a great tool for the students.” 

At the Huot, within their health science pathway, their intro to emergency medical services class is gaining traction. Teachers and leaders have had immense success in building pipelines to nursing certifications, and EMT credentials could be next on the horizon. The hurdle at present is navigating the complexities of state and federal regulations regarding certification, but it’s not impossible. 

“Running these programs is not a piece of cake,” Warrender said. 

“We’ve had conversations for years about having an EMT certification.”

For the fire department, increasing recruiting and retention is an ever-present task. Exposing students to the realities of the profession is key in engaging their interests and supporting them in their development.

“There’s such a need for career firefighters and EMTs throughout the country,” Joubert said. If the program can garner interest, it’s good for the fire service and for the city. 

“This relationship benefits both of us,” he said.

It’s also a way to demonstrate to students that there are numerous opportunities in EMS outside firefighting. Various private ambulance companies operate in the Lakes Region, for example, and the Laconia Fire Department recently stood up a mobile paramedic position.

“That pre-hospital care, it’s going to grow,” Joubert said. Calling 911 is how many individuals access care providers right now, and there’s a potential to get ahead of the curve.

Professional firefighters need to obtain an EMT certification plus firefighter 1 and physical fitness certifications. Getting one of those knocked out at the Huot would be a boon to an aspiring firefighter’s career. 

“It’s going to take some time, but this is a great first step,” Warrender said. 

The school’s Principles of Emergency Services class, which comprises mostly 10th and 11th graders, runs one semester, and has been rapidly growing in popularity. 

“I kind of already have half a fire department upstairs,” Warrender said. 

The class is taught by David French, himself a retired lieutenant at the Laconia Fire Department, and the reception of the rescue vehicle meant more to him than to most: he remembers working in that exact ambulance, some 20-odd years ago. 

“I worked in it when it was a brand-new ambulance,” French said. 

“My biggest outlook for the class is to get them actual, usable life skills,” French said of his course. “For those that want to go on, great.”

One of those students to continue on is Maddy Talbot, who graduated two years ago. 

“Maddy’s been awesome as a [teaching assistant], because she’s been through the class,” French said. She’s young and can easily relate to current students.

Talbot started out interested in studying business at the Huot before she met French. Around the same time, Talbot participated in the “explorer academy” at the New Hampshire State Fire Academy. When she returned, she signed up for French’s principles course. She recently finished her EMT class at Lakes Region Community College, and went through the fire academy in the fall. 

“I would not be where I am today without 'Frenchie’s' involvement,” Talbot said. “He is so influential.”

The rescue vehicle as an addition to the course will make it even more marketable for students interested in EMS or the fire service, Talbot said, calling it a “selling point.”

“We can do an entire simulation of calls with these kids,” French said.

If teachers at the Huot were to develop a pipeline to earn the certification, it would give kids a jump and an advantage, Talbot said.

“This Huot is an insane resource that somebody gets to have,” she said. 

For French, being able to run simulations and scenarios during his course will make a big impact on the value gained by students. For those already interested in a career, they’ll be able to feel the stress of the working environment in real time, and have a better idea of what the job is really like. He used a former student as an example: in his first class, one individual was a talented student and a top-performer. After one semester, they realized the line of work was not what they’d wanted.

“I didn’t take that as a loss, I took that as a win,” French said. “This is the place to find out.”