Pontiac Times

Oxford Charter Township issued the following announcement on Oct 29.

Say ‘hello’ to EMT Amanda Richardson!

Oxford Township is extremely proud of its female firefighters, paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Every day, they protect lives and property while working in a male-dominated field. These strong women are not only putting themselves at risk to keep our community safe, they’re knocking down stereotypes and providing positive role models for females of all ages.

Oxford Township is saluting these brave and selfless women by featuring each of them on our Facebook page. This week, we’re showcasing Amanda Richardson, a paid-on-call EMT who joined the department earlier this year.

Amanda is a lifelong resident of Oxford. She attended Daniel Axford and Oxford elementary schools and graduated from Oxford High School in 2021. 

“I was hired (by the fire department) as soon as I graduated,” she said. “It’s probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I get to see people that I’ve known for years, meet new people and give back to the community. Being able to help people on their worst days means a lot to me.”

Amanda’s interest in joining the fire service was sparked by her participation in the EMT Education Program, part of the Oxford school district’s Health Science Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Open to eligible high school seniors, the program is designed to prepare students to: 1) meet all of the state’s education requirements for EMTs and 2) take the National Registry exam after they turn 18. Successful completion of this exam is necessary to become a licensed EMT in Michigan.

Thanks to the program, Amanda was able to obtain her EMT license. She’s now preparing to enter the fire academy in January. Her goal is to become a professional firefighter/paramedic.

“I want to do this for the rest of my life,” Amanda said.

Amanda is definitely getting plenty of hands-on experience with the OXFD. She had only been on the job for two days when she responded to her first medical call involving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Amanda was responsible for securing the patient’s airway and performing bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation.

“I was nervous at first,” she said. “It’s definitely a lot different in a real-life situation than it is in class. In class, you practice on a mannequin . . . But once I got there, a switch flipped inside me. I thought, ‘I got this. I know exactly what I need to do.’”

In addition to her emergency skills, Amanda believes her ability to connect with patients is one of her biggest strengths as an EMT. “I’ve always found it easy to talk to people and open up to them,” she said. 

Amanda is excited about her future in the fire service and anxious to continue learning, growing and serving others. “I definitely couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” she said.

Original source can be found here.