Garner Volunteer Ambulance Service

08/29/2026

EMS Students

To the people beginning EMT class this fall,
Right now, you probably feel like you know absolutely nothing. That is correct. It is also completely normal.
You’re going to learn trauma and medical emergencies, airway management and patient assessment, operations and more acronyms than any reasonable person should ever be expected to memorize. You’ll practice skills until your hands begin to remember what your brain is still trying to understand.
But I hope you’ll learn something else, too.
I hope you’ll learn that EMS isn’t only cardiac arrests, major traumas, and dramatic saves. In fact, if that's what you want to do, EMS probably isn't for you. The truth is, most of the time, beauty is found in much smaller moments.
It’s helping someone off the floor without making them feel ashamed. Calming a frightened parent. Making a sick child laugh. Finding someone’s glasses and cell phone charger before you leave. Covering someone with a blanket, and wrapping their head in a towel so they don't get cold. Sitting beside someone who is lonely.
It’s walking into a room where everyone is scared and slowly becoming the calmest person
At first, every scenario will feel like chaos. Then one day, you’ll walk in and know where to start. You’ll hear a set of vital signs and recognize that something isn’t right. You’ll look at a patient and think, Oh, I know what to do.
And that moment will change you.
You don’t need to know yet whether EMS will be your forever career. I hope some of you stay, because this field desperately needs your curiosity, your compassion, and the particular way you see the world. But however long you remain, this work will leave something behind in you.
For now, just show up. Ask questions. Be curious. Be willing to be wrong. Take care of the students sitting beside you, because they are becoming part of your EMS family, too.
One day, probably soon, someone will call 911 on one of the hardest days of their life—and you will be the person who walks through their door.
They may not remember your name. But they may remember your voice. Your calm. The way you protected their dignity. The moment they looked toward the door and realized they were no longer alone.
So learn the medicine. Learn the skills. Both of these are fundamentally important to what we do.
But also learn how to become the person who walks through the door and immediately brings relief, calm and compassion to a room filled with fear and pain.

Welcome to EMS.
Credit to Sarah Moore

08/19/2026

Please be safe, stay alert and pay attention!

An Ames police officer was injured after a patrol vehicle was struck while the officer was working along the interstate Monday night.

The officer is expected to recover. Police said the driver was arrested and charged with failing to change lanes when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, causing injury.

The Ames Police Department would like to remind drivers to slow down, move over and remain alert when approaching emergency vehicles stopped along the roadway.

08/14/2026

Very important message to all! Please be present and pay attention.

What happens after the call matters too.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate over the years is that the end of a call doesn’t always mean the end of its impact.

The patient has been transferred.

The report is complete.

The stretcher is cleaned.

The truck is back in service.

From the outside, everything looks normal.

But sometimes part of that call comes back with you.

Not every difficult call stays with us.

And not every call that stays with us looks difficult on paper.

That’s what makes it so hard to explain.

I’ve had conversations with providers who could work a chaotic trauma without missing a beat, yet weeks later found themselves thinking about a quiet conversation with a patient’s family.

Others couldn’t tell you why a particular call stuck with them.

It just did.

I’ve also learned that recovery looks different for everyone.

For some, it’s talking through the call before pulling out of the hospital.

For others, it’s a quiet drive home, a workout after shift, or simply getting a good night’s sleep.

And sometimes, it’s realizing days later that you’re still carrying something you thought you’d already put down.

That’s why checking in with each other matters.

Not because we expect everyone to struggle.

Because we don’t always know who is.

A simple, “How are you doing after that call?” can mean more than we realize.

So can sitting beside someone without trying to fix anything.

Sometimes people don’t need advice.

They just need to know someone noticed.

We spend a lot of time teaching providers how to care for patients.

I think we should spend just as much time teaching them how to care for each other after the call is over.

Because the human side of EMS doesn’t end when the ambulance doors close.

In a lot of ways…

That’s where it begins.

— The Human Factor of EMS

08/13/2026

08/12/2026

Happy August Birthdays!
Kirsty Legge 6th
Brian Roberts 9th
Ethan Curry 11th
Shirley Anderson 16th

08/12/2026

Happy July birthdays!!
Jim Janssen July 2nd
Diana Ausborn July 14th

08/12/2026

08/04/2026

Or contact us for information!!

🚨 Become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) — Serve Your Community! 🚨

Ready to make a difference? Start Your EMT Journey Right Here in Forest City through NIACC Continuing Education. This program equips you with the skills and confidence to provide life‑saving care when it matters most.

📅 Course Dates: August 24 – December 14, 2026
🕕 Schedule: Mondays & Thursdays • 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
🏫 Location: Forest City Ambulance
👨‍🏫 Instructor: Joseph Klukow

This course includes:
✅ 70 hours of lecture and 60 hours of lab
✅ 18 hours of hospital‑based clinical experience
✅ 12 hours of ambulance ride time
✅ Eligibility for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam upon completion

❤️ Volunteer and Give Back!
Becoming an EMT isn’t just a certification — it’s a calling. Volunteer EMTs are vital members of our community, providing care, compassion, and support when emergencies strike.

💬 Need help with course costs or have questions?
Contact Forest City Ambulance to learn how membership can help offset tuition and guide you through the enrollment process. 641-585-4634