Training for Emergencies, Opening Eyes during Danger

On this episode of the Tech Times podcast we sit down with EMR/EMT instructor Jim Massey. Hear about the event that drove him to a career in emergency services and why one student chose to take the EMR/EMT program. 

Transcript

Announcer: From Tulsa Tech, helping you make your own path with insights and information about the world of career training, the Tech Times Podcast starts right now. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Hey, everybody, welcome to this episode of the Tech Times podcast. I'm your host, Ryan Williams. Well, when you are out there and you need fire or medical help in an emergency, where do you call?

Ryan Williams (Host): You call 9 1 1, but who shows up? You know who comes to your door, who comes to your aid? Well long before those first responders ever reach you, they need the training to be able to do so, right? So here at our Peoria campus, students get the opportunity to gain those skills that ultimately help save lives.

Ryan Williams (Host): Joining us to talk about this is High School Emergency Medical Responder and Emergency Medical Technician Instructor, Mr. Jim Massey. Thanks for being here. 

Jim Massey: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to talk.

Ryan Williams (Host): So before we get started and dive into what all is entailed in the program, I have to clarify something about the name.

Ryan Williams (Host): So currently we're calLynng it Emergency Medical Responder and Emergency Medical Technician Program. What's the difference in those two names 

Jim Massey: In those two emergency medical responders? Just the basic level below EMT, it's, it is the entry level that's most commonly filled by people who are volunteering at various agencies.

Ryan Williams (Host): Got you. And so what, what would be some of those extra steps you would need to go into an EMT? 

Jim Massey: It's more hours of training, much more knowledge of pathophysiology. The amount of medications you could administer is. Far beyond anything that an EMR could hoped to ever do. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah, it sounds quite extensive. 

Jim Massey: The scope of practice of EMT now is far beyond what it was when I took it.

Jim Massey: What you're expected to understand, things that as of, uh, 2016 and 2018 were paramedic level only have now been pushed down to the EMT. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Wow. So you mentioned how, when you were in this field . , By the way, thanks for clearing all that up. , How did you get your start in the field? 

Jim Massey: My start, my motivation was the Murrah bombing.

Jim Massey: I was in another career at that time. I was actually doing contracting as a remodeler and I was at a customer's house and we were discussing what colors they wanted to put in their kitchen when that they happened to have the news on while we were talking, when that happened. And at that point, I decided I needed to change directions.

Jim Massey: The color of the kitchen really didn't matter when we were faced with what we were watching. So that's when I made the decision. I was changing careers. But it didn't happen immediately, but that put me on the path to figure out what I had to do and how to get there. But first I had to figure out how to get there.

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. So what, I mean, what do you think sparked that interest from that such a sudden, impactful event like that? Just trying to help people. 

Jim Massey: Yes. And seeing everybody else making a difference and me sitting back worrying about a color of a kitchen, it just did not seem the same.

Ryan Williams (Host): from that, you obviously went into the field and gained some training. Yes, yes. How long did you work in the field? 

Jim Massey: Well, I, I still have my paramedic license and I, I was active duty on a truck for 22 years. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Wow. That's awesome. How did Tulsa Tech persuade you to come to the classroom? 

Jim Massey: I came here for my paramedic.

Jim Massey: I actually got my EMR and my EMT out in the field before I was aware of Tulsa Tech. But then when I realized I needed to go to paramedic school, this is where I came to check out. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Very cool. Some of those short term classes Yeah. That we offer. 

Jim Massey: Well, paramedics, not a short term class. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Oh, you went full-time route.

Jim Massey: Yes. The full, the full-time route. . The the hardest year of my life. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Okay. What's been your experience in the classroom since you started teaching 

Jim Massey: in the high school classroom? 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah, 

Jim Massey: , It's much different. It's much different, but it's much more enjoyable. I actually enjoy being around these kids.

Ryan Williams (Host): A few years ago you started to incorporate, , some firefighter training into the program. , Can you tell us where that idea came from and how it's evolving 

Jim Massey: Just to make the training more realistic because. For example, if a medic goes on a call in the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Fire will be with them, PD will be with them or some other type of law enforcement.

Jim Massey: They all respond together and I just wanted to incorporate it and make it more realistic, the training, as well as give them the option to pursue. If only they wanna be a medic or if they wanna be a medic and the fire service, or if they want to gain pre-hospital experience. If they wanna work in the ER such as an ER nurse, ER physician, just open up the opportunities 

Ryan Williams (Host): And we're gonna open up a little bit more into that firefighter training side of it. In the coming years, 

Jim Massey: Well, at currently when we're doing our training, we leave campus on Wednesday and Thursday, and we go to the Tulsa Fire Academy's training site. So we get to make use of their facility as well. And that's a result of a. Of a direct partnership with Chief Julie Lynn because at the time that I had the idea of what I wanted to do with this, I happened to know her previously, so I went to talk with her and it just so happens that she had been thinking of the same thing.

Jim Massey: Hmm. 

Jim Massey: She wanted to do it to give students the opportunity to pursue a fire service. Job who maybe didn't have the connections that some of the, what we call legacy hires have. That's, that's, , kids who have connections within the fire service already. Well, previously they didn't have a chance to be around others and learn the culture, learn how you're supposed to act, learn what's expected of you.

Jim Massey: But through this class, being around the personnel at Tulsa Fire Training Center and other agencies as well, because there are other, other agencies come out and assist with training out there and other agencies train all the time. But they made the most sense because of my relationship with Julie Lynn and because they're 10 minutes from our campus.

Jim Massey: So we just jump on the bus. I drive the bus down there, we come back. We don't miss any additional time. We can quickly jump into the train for the day. 

Ryan Williams (Host): How do you think that relationship, that partnership, ultimately helps students and helps industry 

Jim Massey: helping students? It gives them a realistic view. Of what's, what they can do.

Jim Massey: And some of these girls, through the connection with this program and with the Camp Fierce, the the fire school for the girls that we recently had, some of our class girls participate in it. It opens up the opportunity to let them know they can do this. This is not just a male dominated field, even though it still is currently.

Jim Massey: But we will tell you in emergency services, we prefer skill and technique over brute strength any day. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Sure. That would make sense. There's always, there's always a way to . Move something heavy. What kind of person is really drawn to EMT work and what kind of person thrives in it? 

Jim Massey: The kind of people that drive in it are like me and everybody else in this classroom.

Jim Massey: It's people who. I, I don't wanna say just run on adrenaline, but that's certainly a part of it. But people who, one wanna make a difference, they wanna be a part of something important, a part of something they can't complete on their own, and they want to do something that, , offers excitement during the day.

Jim Massey: I mean, it's, it's chaos. It's exciting. You never know what's happening next. You never know when those tones drop, what the call is. You never know when, when you roll out in the emergency vehicle, whether it's a firetruck, an ambulance, or law enforcement vehicle, what's it waiting at the other end.

Ryan Williams (Host): And your program is mainly geared towards high school students, correct? 

Jim Massey: Yes. My mine is only for high school. Now there are adult only programs here as well. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Very cool. When, when those high school students walk into your classroom for the first time, what do they think EMT training is gonna be and how fast do you prove them

Ryan Williams (Host): otherwise ?

Jim Massey: Maybe one of those students can answer that question better than I can because it typically always turns out not quite what they were thinking on the training methods. They're not used to the chaos of it, so I. To try and keep it honest. I try to bring that to the classroom as well. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Little bit of chaos.

Jim Massey: Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Okay. Well, that sounds fun actually. 

Jim Massey: I think it's great fun. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What are some misconceptions people have about the E-M-R-E-M-T field? 

Jim Massey: About the EMT nowadays? Yeah. Some of the misconceptions that still linger from long ago are that EMTs do not have a good level of understanding of pathophysiology and understand medicine.

Jim Massey: And understand what's going on. They simply think that some are just ambulance drivers, which is nothing. Could be further from the truth.

Ryan Williams (Host): I don't think budgets would really entail somebody just being a driver these days. 

Jim Massey: No, no, no. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Definitely need some other skill sets. 

Jim Massey: Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Speaking of, what are some of the skills that students learn in this program and where can they go once they graduate and earn those certifications?

Jim Massey: The best skill they're gonna learn from this program is, is patient assessment. That's critical thinking, figuring out what is wrong. That's far more important to me than any other skill, such as any, any hands-on skill. It's the mental skill of understanding. How do you assess this patient? How do you figure out what's wrong?

Jim Massey: How do you put a plan together and how to treat them? How do you orchestrate that plan and how as a group do you put it together and everyone works. It's the good of the patient. 

Ryan Williams (Host): How do you work those activities in such a fast paced environment? How do you find out? How do you assess a patient so quickly?

Jim Massey: They're learning. They're learning. They're, it's taken much, much longer right now, but that's okay. We've learned a lot so far what we still gotta ways to go, but what they're doing now in 15 or 20 minutes, they'll get it down to two minutes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Really? 

Jim Massey: By the time we're done. Yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Wow. Are there any training scenarios that students kind of dread Is, that fear justified?

Jim Massey: A couple of weeks ago when we were doing patient rescue out of an elevated window, the third story window at the Tulsa Training Center, a few were a little hesitant about that, but they were quickly got over it and wanted to keep doing it over and over and over. We were doing it with ladders, and before anyone asked, they were tied off.

Jim Massey: So we had safety systems in place. They might have, they might fall, but they're not gonna fall very far. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So it's the fear of heights. That's typically what's, the biggest trepidation 

Jim Massey: Yes. Un until they do it. And then they overcome it, and then they've overcome their obstacle. And that's the most important thing.

Jim Massey: They've overcome the fear and then the confined space training. 

Jim Massey: When they're doing that with all their gear on and their pack, their air pack's on and they have to fit, do spaces that the air pack can't fit. So they gotta stay attached as they put it through, ahead of them and crawl behind it.

Jim Massey: Things like that. 

Ryan Williams (Host): You know, EMTs really do see humanity at its best and its worst. How do you keep such a positive attitude? 

Jim Massey: I think anyone that stays in this field after all these years, or anyone can stay and do a career in this field, has to be the eternal optimist. You have to think there's good out there and, and there is.

Jim Massey: We just gotta find it. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Otherwise that it'll eat you up. 

Jim Massey: Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So Jim, we were talking a little bit ago about, all the firefighter training elements . That you have incorporated into the program. So it'll still be strictly high school students. And then really kind of gear them towards both EMT and firefighter if they wanna go that route.

Jim Massey: And firefighter. But, but I also say it's for, we have students in their, in the class right now that want to be emergency room nurses. . We have students that want to, they want to go on to ER physicians. So I tell 'em, you will understand what happens pre-hospital. What's it take for us to extricate someone from an entanglement?

Jim Massey: What's it take for us to get 'em out of a car that's that's smashed to get 'em out from under a building that's collapsed, such as for a tornado, things of that nature. So I tell 'em, this is preparing you for emergencies in the future. 

Ryan Williams (Host): And that'll really give 'em a leg up in terms of physiology and anatomy, all of those other things once they hit their freshman year.

Jim Massey: Yes. 'cause we, we go in, we go deep into the pathophysiology. And it's like, I tell 'em, we're not just preparing you to be an EMT or a firefighter. We're preparing you for your next step. Because EMT should be your entry to emergency services or healthcare, not your end point. It, it has to carry on from here.

Ryan Williams (Host): That's so cool. Provides even a further pathways. Well, thanks so much, Jim, for that information and when we come back we'll be joined by Caden, a student in your program. Thank you.

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Ryan Williams (Host): Okay, and we are back. Earlier, we had the opportunity to chat with instructor Mr. Jim Massey about the EMR/EMT program and how he got his start. We're now joined by Kayden, one of his students in the program. Welcome. 

Kayden (Student): Yeah. Thank you for having me. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So I'd be a little remiss if I didn't ask you as the first question.

Ryan Williams (Host): How did you hear about Tulsa Tech and what sparked your interest? 

Kayden (Student): I heard about Tulsa Tech my sophomore year and I did Tulsa Tech last year for health science technology, but really sparked it is I wanted to do EMT and I learned I couldn't do it my junior year. 'cause EMT is something I've been wanting to do for a while, just because I wanna be a neurosurgeon in the future.

Kayden (Student): So it would help me get a better understanding. 

Ryan Williams (Host): How did you find out that we had an EMT program? How did you gain interest in that field? 

Kayden (Student): I've had lots of friends that have done the EMT program in the past, my friend of last year, and I had a friend be the year before, so they talked to me about it and told me it'd be a good choice.

Ryan Williams (Host): Wow. I love that word of mouth. , What made you choose, , I mean you kind of got into this a little bit earlier, but what made you choose EMT training over something else? 

Kayden (Student): In my opinion, I chose EMT because. It would gimme more field experience. Field experience and like trauma experiences is what I'm looking for.

Kayden (Student): Because since I wanna go into something that has a lot of trauma, 

Ryan Williams (Host): do you remember the moment you thought, man, this feels real? 

Kayden (Student): Yeah. The first day of school for tech, it was like, oh, okay. I'm like, we're here. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So what, was there a particular scenario or verbiage or you saw the textbook that kind of was like, oh man, this is 

Kayden (Student): just meaning Mr. Massey. He was like. Yeah, before I was going in, I was like, okay, it's gonna be all right. Then I got in and I saw Mr. Massey. He started talking and going on and on and on about the class. I was like, oh no. There's a lot gonna happen this year. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. Have you had fun so far? 

Kayden (Student): Yes, I have. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What's the most unexpected thing you must have trained for that most people wouldn't think of , 

Kayden (Student): I would say coming outta this class, I didn't know that we were gonna do much about firefighter skills, so when we got to play with the hoses and stuff, that was very unexpected for me.

Ryan Williams (Host): Those are heavier than you'd think. 

Kayden (Student): A lot heavier. 

Ryan Williams (Host): How do you practice staying calm when everything around you looks like chaos? 

Kayden (Student): I just focus on my breathing and talk to the people around me. That way they can calm me down if I get a little too overwhelmed. 

Ryan Williams (Host): It's a team effort, of course. . So you're not in it alone.

Ryan Williams (Host): That helps. Yeah. Can you share a specific training experience that stood out, for you so far? 

Kayden (Student): I would say the fire hose training, a few weeks ago. We were out there trying to knock stuff down and we were working as a team. And the more that we worked and the more we practiced, we became closer. And that just really brought out the team 

Ryan Williams (Host): team comradery.

Ryan Williams (Host): That's great. What do you think is the most underrated EMT skill? 

Kayden (Student): I would say it's probably carrying patients out of, , windows. That was actually a lot of fun. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Really? Like the jaws alive type of thing? 

Kayden (Student): No. So like going up to like the one story, carrying 'em out the window and down the ladder. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Really, 

Kayden (Student): that was actually a lot of fun.

Ryan Williams (Host): Really? . I'm not keen on heights, so I don't know how I would handle that. So kudos to you. Has there been a moment in training that made you question whether you could handle this career at all? 

Kayden (Student): I, understanding all of the knowledge and trying to get an all in at once has made me question it, but I learned over the few weeks that the I practice.

Kayden (Student): Knowing what we've been taught, then I can easily overcome it. 

Ryan Williams (Host): There's a lot of terminology in medicine. 

Kayden (Student): Yes. There's a lot 

Ryan Williams (Host): What advice would you give to students in high school looking to apply to the program? 

Kayden (Student): I would just say come in with an open mind because it's not what you first expect.

Ryan Williams (Host): What about those who are still hemming and han trying to make a decision? 

Kayden (Student): I would say go for it. Join the class. It's a lot of fun. You make a lot of good connections in the class and outside of the class. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Well, Kayden, do you have any future plans? 

Kayden (Student): Yeah, , I did Army basic training over this past summer between my junior and senior year.

Kayden (Student): Joining the military has always been something I wanted to do. I originally wanted to be a combat medic in the military, but when I joined, that wasn't an option. So I ended up being, an artillery gunman, which definitely not what I wanted to do, but eventually, once I go to college and do their ROTC plan, then.

Kayden (Student): I can join in a medical service, so it'll help. And they also have neurosurgery in the military, which is something that I've been looking forward to. 

Ryan Williams (Host): All right. Well, Kayden, thanks so much for joining us. 

Kayden (Student): Yeah. Thank you for having me. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Mr. Massey, before we, wrap up here on this episode, , what does it mean to

Ryan Williams (Host): have students like Kayden in your classroom? 

Jim Massey: It means the world to me. This is why we're here. This, without these students, we wouldn't have a program, and I'm extremely proud of Kayden in the path she's taken. And I know she'll be successful in serving the serving her country and patients. 

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