GRAHAM, N.C. — There's a severe shortage of EMT's in the triad and Graham High School is trying to get students interested in the field early.
Madison Pierce is excited about teaching her first year of EMT classes at the school.
"I love EMS. I love teaching and to do it with high school students so it was super exciting I was super excited to get started and we're only a week in but I love it," Pierce said.
Before she moved to the classroom, Pierce was an EMT. She said she loved the hustle and bustle of the job.
"Every day is something different every call is something different you never know what's going to happen minute by minute hour by hour," Pierce said.
Pierce suffered an injury that took her off the job which led her to Graham High School. She says her class will give students hands-on exercises and teach them the ins and outs about being an EMT.
"So, you start with the basics, what an EMT is, what the job description is, what they do, and then you go into things like chest pain protocols stopping bleeding, CPR, your big movie scenes, cardiac arrest, allergic reactions," Pierce said.
The class is only for seniors. After they pass, they can take the state test, then apply for an EMT job. Pierce says its a great way to address the widespread shortage.
"We want them to pass. We want them to have a great grade so they can pass their state test and within 90 days of graduation will become a licensed EMT and can function as an EMT in the state of North Carolina," Pierce said.