{"id":6006,"date":"2020-04-22T12:41:47","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T12:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/wordpress\/lavie\/?p=6006"},"modified":"2020-04-22T12:41:47","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T12:41:47","slug":"senior-spotlight-student-emt-on-the-covid-19-frontlines-prepares-for-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2020\/04\/22\/senior-spotlight-student-emt-on-the-covid-19-frontlines-prepares-for-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Spotlight: Student EMT on the COVID-19 frontlines; prepares for future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By: Huntre Keip \u201920, Editor in Chief <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While COVID-19 sent the LVC community home early, one senior stayed back to fight the pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sara Burns, a senior history and Spanish double major, serves as an EMT for First Aid and Safety Patrol in Lebanon. Since her freshman year, Burns worked for the department, so she was used to the night shift routine, but COVID-19 made a new normal for everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing on the front lines of COVID-19, my company has had to make many changes to best serve the community and responders,\u201d she said. \u201cTaking all precautions possible, the company has put in more protocols for the employees to follow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While on duty, Burns needed to wear a cloth mask on the station\u2019s premises and near the ambulances. When in contact with a patient, EMTs wore surgical masks including the patient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a patient is considered to have COVID-19, additional measures are put in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s a reason to believe a patient has the virus, then we take all precautions necessary \u2013 eye protection, a Tyvek suit, N95 mask and gloves,\u201d Burns said. \u201cAlso, the patient is given a surgical mask, and only one provider is allowed in the back of the ambulance with the patient.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, First Aid and Safety Patrol has two designated \u201cCOVID rigs\u201d that are ambulances with the back rig sealed with tarps. This measure limits personal contact and possible contamination.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burns does not deny the global impact COVID-19 created, but she urges everyone to remain calm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStay calm and relax,\u201d she said. \u201cThis whole thing might seem scary, but as long as we keep social distancing and have good hygiene, this will pass before we know it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though Burns lost the remainder of her senior year of college, she is moving forward with the next chapter of her life \u2013 approximately 2,100 miles away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She accepted a position as a wildland firefighter and EMT on the engine crew for the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona. Her duty station is Kaibab National Forest which borders the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince graduation will not be held on May 9, I will be heading to Arizona earlier than expected because the federal government is allowing me to start a week early,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to her close contact with COVID-19, the Forest Service advised Burns to self-quarantine for two weeks before traveling. Her last shift with First Aid and Safety Patrol was April 17. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in self-quarantine, Burns reflects on her time at LVC and wants students to make long-lasting memories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAppreciate your time at LVC and don\u2019t take advantage of it because you never know how your senior year will go \u2013 literally,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burns\u2019 first day on duty is May 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Huntre Keip \u201920, Editor in Chief  While COVID-19 sent the LVC community home early, one senior stayed back to fight the pandemic.  Sara Burns, a senior history and Spanish double major, serves as an […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-campus-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}