EMT student Madison Snyder assists
Frisco firefighters with a routine
check of the equipment and supplies
onboard their medic unit.
about communication and how
impor tant it is in health care,”
Olson said. “Teamwork is big.”
Many FISD health science students
have high aspirations, but the skills and
certifications they can earn in high school
offer the flexibility to go right into the
workforce or get a job in the field while
they continue their education.
“It’s neat that we are able to show them
the pre-hospital setting. Whether they want
to be a nurse, surgeon or pediatrician, it’s a
great opportunity for them,” said Battalion
Chief Jake Owen, who oversees emergency
medical services for FFD. “Some that have
come through the program have completely
changed their minds.”
For Wakeland High School senior
Madison Snyder, the experience with the
Frisco Fire Department has only solidified
her interest in emergency medicine.
“They have kind of lit a fire in me,” she
said. “I love the adventure and excitement
of it.”
Snyder is earning her EMT certification
through a dual-credit course with Collin
College. After graduation, she plans to take
additional courses at Collin to become a
paramedic and eventually, a nurse.
Already, she is applying the emergency
medical care skills and concepts she’s
44 | FOCUS
learned in class to a real-world environment.
“The expectation is for them to get
in and practice the skills that they have
learned,” Owen said.
It’s an opportunity the students – and
firefighters – don’t take for granted.
“This is a really great program,” Snyder
said. “We are super lucky to have it.”
“Having something like this at their age
is fantastic,” added Matt Sapp, a Frisco
firefighter and paramedic who worked with
Snyder. “I wish I would have had something
like this when I was in high school.”
For earlier generations, deciding what
college major or career path to pursue after
high school took more time or financial
investment.
“The real value is kids get to experience
a career field that they are interested in
before they have to make a decision,”
Owen said. “For me, it was trial and error.
It’s great seeing the kids get an opportunity
to pursue their dreams.” n
Snyder plans to continue studying
emergency medicine and hopes to
become a paramedic and eventually,
an ER nurse.