Aero Methow Rescue Service

Frequently Asked Questions About Training & Volunteering

Injury Prevention Programs

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Classes

Aero Methow Rescue Service offers a variety of first aid and CPR/AED classes to the community. If you would like to schedule a class or to register* for the next scheduled class call the office at 997-4013 or email* the link.

*When emailing please include your name, contact phone number and employer if work related.

Check out AHA On Line Learning

www.onlineaha.org

Community Classes:

American Heart Association

CPR Anytime Adult/Child & Infant Kits

No Fee - $35 Replacement charge if not returned or damaged

Personal Learning Program. Learn the skills of CPR in the privacy of your home with family and/or friends in just 22 minutes!

Heartsaver First Aid/CPR/AED

5-6 hours $40.00*pocket guide included

Basic First Aid with CPR/AED training. Approved Health and Safety Workplace course that is also appropriate for the general community. Meets OSHA, WISHA, L&I requirements. Course completion card issued.

CPR/AED

3 hours $25.00*textbook not included

A Health and Safety Workplace course that is also appropriate for the general community. Meets OSHI, WISHA, L&I requirements .Course completion card issued

Health Care Provider Basic Life Support*

4 hours $45.00*textbook included

For healthcare providers requiring a course completion credential (card).

Health Care Provider Basic Life Support Renewal

3 hours $35.00*textbook not included

For healthcare providers requiring a course completion credential (card).

*Course cost is based on class size minimum of 6.

*Textbooks are available for all classes, some are included in the cost of the class, others can be purchased separately.

New!

A.H.A. offers online courses requiring skills check.

Skills Check for Health Care Provider On Line Renewal &

Heartsaver First Aid CPR & AED

1 hour $25.00 Requires on-line course completion certificate to schedule.

Wilderness First Aid

AAOS Wilderness First Aid

$60.00*includes textbook & course completion card.

This is a two year credentialed basic wilderness first aid course.

Contact Vikki Buzzard for additional information .

Washington State Emergency Responder Classes

First Responder 44 hours

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) 110 hours

To enroll in a responder class the student must have an affiliation with an emergency services agency, i.e. police, fire, ambulance. Aero Methow Rescue Service conducts an EMT Class and First Responder Class as needed. The students pay the entire cost of the class initially and are reimbursed tuition cost if they actively volunteer with Aero Methow Rescue Service for one year and attend meetings and training. Cost varies based on size of class.
See Frequently Asked Questions

Injury Prevention Programs

Child Passenger Safety Seat checks - Available by appointment at Aero Methow Rescue, Twisp quarters. Contact Theresa Remsberg, Certified Technician. NHTSA.

Trauma Medics Talk Tough – 1 ½ hour Power Point Program on Injury Prevention which includes; Teen Driving, Helmet Use, Seat Belt Use and Drunk Driving. This is a very graphic presentation based on real cases. The Teen Driving Section is presented to the driver’s education class at Liberty Bell High School.

Organ Donation – a ½ hour program developed for the driver’s education class but available to anyone interested in tissue and organ donation. The program includes a 10 minute video from the Northwest Tissue Center.

Sober Roadways – a 1 hour program on drinking and driving. This is a very graphic program detailing the consequences of drinking and driving. This program is presented to the driver’s education class at Liberty Bell High School.

Mock Crash – a program presented to the High School students every other year. The program starts with a speaker that was involved in a crash that resulted in severe injuries, in the past years the speaker was paralyzed in a motorcycle crash that involved drugs and alcohol. The students are brought out into the parking lot to view a car crash that has occurred that involves teens drinking and driving. There are usually 2 fatalities and several students severely injured. The students watch the agencies; fire, police, ambulance, air ambulance and hearse attend to the patients and manage the scene. The students are then brought back into the school for a funeral service for the teens that died.

Bike Helmets - Aero Methow Rescue Service is able to make bike helmets available through the support of the Winthrop Kiwanis. A $5.00 fee allows us to replace helmets as they are distributed. Annually, a Bicycle Road and Trail Safety Rodeo is held in partnership with Pearrygin Lake State Park.

Risk Watch – an injury prevention program endorsed by Aero Methow Rescue Service and administered through the Methow Valley Elementary School staff and coalition of emergency providers. They program incorporates safety, injury prevention and emergency care into the everyday school curriculum

Frequently Asked Question About

EMT Training and Volunteering

EMT Training Questions

What are the requirements?

By Washington State Law you must be 18 years of age on or before the first day of class, have a high school diploma or GED and associated with an emergency services agency; law enforcement, fire or ambulance. There are some industries that support EMTs such as; the USFS, National Park Service and some private industries.

What if I am not associated with an agency?

You can take the class and successfully complete the class, although you can not be certified until you are associated with an agency.

How do I become associated with an agency?

You can volunteer with the Fire Department or Aero Methow Rescue Service in the Methow Valley. If you are from outside of the Methow Valley contact your local Emergency Medical Service Provider.

What if I just want to take the class to be better prepared for an emergency?

The content of the EMT class is based on emergency providers. If you are not associated with an agency there is a rapid degradation of knowledge and skills. The course content in a First Aid/CPR class will prepare you to perform in emergencies.

How long is the class?

The class is 100 hours long with 10 hours of observation time in the emergency room. Class meets on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5:00pm- 8:00pm and 4 Saturdays from 9:00am-5:00pm.

Do I have to attend all classes?

The class moves along at a fast pace, missing a class will put you at a disadvantage. The instructors do not have time to assist with make ups.

Missed classes will involve extra work on your part.

When do I pay for the class?

The class must be paid in full the first day of class. If an agency is paying your tuition and pays when you successfully complete the class, you must pay and then be reimbursed by your agency at completion. If you actively volunteer with Aero Methow Rescue for 1 year after successful completion, you will be reimbursed the price of the class less the price of the textbooks.

When do I have to commit to taking the class?

3 weeks prior to the start of the class. The text books are ordered based on pre registration. The text books are distributed to students prior to the start of the class.

Volunteering with Aero Methow Rescue Service Questions

How do I volunteer with Aero Methow Rescue Service?

In order to volunteer with Aero Methow Rescue Service you must be able to meet our volunteer requirement: sign up for 4-12 hour shifts/month, attend monthly meetings/trainings, comply with urine drug testing requirements, pass Washington State Patrol background check and Motor Vehicle Report, provide medical history, have no lifting restrictions and submit 3 references regarding your ability to work well with others, your reliability, dependability and ability to perform duties in stressful situations with minimal supervision.

What does 4-12 hour shifts mean?

You must be available to respond to the ambulance within 5 minutes of the tone (the page for an ambulance) for a 12 hour period 4 times a month. Some volunteers pick one night or day a week (usual shifts are 6:00am to 6:00pm and/or 6:00pm to 6:00am with some adjustments for work schedules).

What if I can't make that commitment due to where I live?

You can substitute call time for doing standby's at local events. Although by doing call time and going on emergency responses your comfort level for doing standbys is greatly enhanced. See more information on standbys under the Services tab.

Once I am certified what do I have to do to maintain my certification?

You must complete required annual training. The majority of the didactic training is done online. The required practical skills are practiced and evaluated at the Aero Methow Rescue Service's monthly meetings/training night. Your certification is good for 3 years. If you have not kept current with the required training you will not be able to re certify.

When is the monthly meeting/training?

The monthly meeting is the 3rd Monday of the month, unless it is a holiday and then it is the next Monday. The meetings/trainings start promptly at 6:00pm (1800) at the office in Twisp and end at 8:00pm (2000).

Do I have to go to these meeting/training nights?

Yes! The only excused absences are: work, family emergencies (this doesn't mean a BBQ!) and being out of town. We take our meetings and trainings very seriously. If you do not keep current you will not be able to provide the patients with optimal care.

What will I actually do when volunteering with Aero Methow Rescue Service?

patient care - assist the Paramedic and/or experienced EMT
drive the ambulance
if you are interested, qualify, and are physically able there are opportunities with:

High Angle Rescue

Swift Water Rescue

Back Country Rescue

What will it cost me to be a volunteer?

Aero Methow Rescue Service makes every effort to minimize the cost to the volunteers. We provide you with one uniform (if you are active we will provide an additional uniform), a radio, your vaccinations (Hepatitis B and flu) and meals for meeting nights and transports that span the time of regular meal (a quick meal at the Mini-Market on the way home from the hospital). Our Christmas Party is always the 1st Saturday in December hosted in full for you and your spouse, significant other and/or domestic partner. Aero Methow Rescue also pays you for going on a call, standby and rescue. This is a nominal amount that is far below minimum wage (so we can still call you a volunteer) but amazingly adds up throughout the year. This is paid once a year at the Christmas Party. Aero Methow Rescue is a non-profit corporation - therefore all your travel expenses to the meetings/trainings and rescues and other related expenses are a charitable contribution.