COLUMBIA, S.C. — Prisma Health donated a decommissioned ambulance to C.A. Johnson High School Wednesday. This donation will help support students in the school’s health sciences magnet program and their futures.
“I've always wanted to help people and I enjoy it as well,” said Gabrielle Oden, a student at C.A. Johnson. She's in the school's magnet program.
“It helps us know what to expect and what to do in these certain situations, especially when we go out and act out certain situations with each other. we learn how to work under pressure and what to do if something may go wrong,” Oden said.
Health sciences magnet programs are entry level program that give students exposure to different skills and certifications within the medical field.
“They learn a little bit about a lot of different things. Our goal is to get our students prepared to enter the workforce,” Sheron Capers said.
Capers is the Health Science Magnet program chair, and said these programs help give students real life experiences and the donation of this ambulance will only further that.
This donation will help kickstart the EMT career pathway at C.A. Johnson High School
“Those skills that the students will get will give them the opportunity to be a first responder and the training that they get is something that they could possibly go to work for an ambulance service, "Capers said. "They could also work at the hospital, they can work in doctors offices , but it’ll give an opportunity to leave here and go to work. these courses cost thousands of dollars but to leave here with a certification as an EMT is a stepping stone.”
Students are looking forward to the hands on training inside the ambulance.
“I've seen ambulances drive by. I've seen paramedics, EMTs but you don’t really know what’s going on inside of there and you don’t really know what you have to do if there is a person in there so I think it’ll be a really interesting experience,” Oden said.