At John Carroll, students are taught to give back to their community. Part of the Mission Statement for JC reads, “We prepare students to positively influence a global society…while being socially responsible.”

To live out this Mission Statement, several JC students give back to their community through volunteering at local fire companies.

Junior Christopher Artz is an ambulance aide for the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company and has been there for eight months. One of his reasons for choosing this volunteer path was “to put less stress on a crucial system in Harford County that’s going through some major changes right now. In general, I want to give back to the community.”

As part of his job, he does just about anything an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) does in the ambulance except administer drugs because he hasn’t yet completed his certification. This includes carrying equipment bags, helping to get the stretcher out, taking vitals, bleeding control, and performing CPR if needed. He is currently working on becoming a certified EMT and is almost halfway through of the 204 hours needed.

Each week he volunteers at least 25-40 hours going on calls, or he is at the station practicing for his class. With all of these hours at the station, he manages to get his homework done. As a junior, he has a lot of schoolwork to focus on, so he doesn’t have much free time to do other things outside of school and volunteer work.

With all of this hard work, the most rewarding thing for him has been the second family he has gained from the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company. He said that the people there “help you get through terrible calls, and they will help you succeed in this job.”

Sophomore Natalie Gotzmann is a probationary member of the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company to become an EMT. Natalie said that the initial starting process is slower, but she will be able to go on calls once she gets more involved with her class.

Natalie hasn’t really had any impactful experiences yet because she has just started her training and involvement, but she said, “Seeing other members fulfill their duties in this line of volunteer work has made me excited for what is to come.”

She has future plans of being a nationally-certified EMT to one day “being able to volunteer anywhere.”

Christopher and Natalie are using their EMT work to gain exposure to the medical field. Their future career plans both include going into the medical field and becoming surgeons.

Christopher hopes to become a trauma surgeon while Natalie hopes to become a pediatric surgeon.