For 20 students from across Clatsop County, this scene will repeat over four intense summer days, June 15–18. They will rotate through ambulance services, fire departments, hospitals and the Life Flight base. The Emergency Medical Services Academy is a pilot program designed to give teens in grades 9 through 12 firsthand exposure to emergency medicine — in the field and behind the scenes.
The academy is free for participants, funded by the Oregon Health Authority. Students register via a QR code on the program flyer, submitting an application and essay explaining why they want to join. Selected applicants will receive scholarship recognition for participating — a credential they can list on resumes and college applications.
It all started with Adrienne Brown, general manager of Medix Ambulance, and a paramedic with more than 18 years of experience. Brown recalls a moment that changed her life — a ride-along with a local fire department at age 17. She had four full-ride scholarships for political science, but that one afternoon sparked a career in emergency medicine instead.
“That one day gave me the bug,” Brown said. “I want these students to feel that spark. To see themselves in this work and to know they can make a difference in their community.”
Brown brought the idea to Jaime Montgomery , director with the Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center , part of Oregon Health & Science University . Together, they envisioned a program that filled a gap in rural health career pathways.
“EMS and paramedicine were missing from the conversation about healthcare careers,” Montgomery said. “We wanted to fix that and show students that a path exists right here in their community — from high school to professional training.”
The academy’s curriculum is deliberately immersive. On the first morning, students meet a guest speaker and participate in CPR, HIPAA, and bloodborne pathogen training. They join paramedics on ride-alongs, witnessing what it’s like to respond to emergencies in real time. At dispatch centers, students listen to live 911 calls, observing how trained professionals triage and direct resources across the county.
Over the next days, students tour fire departments in Astoria , Warrenton and South County, observing extrication drills and simulated medical emergencies. They meet firefighters who double as paramedics and learn how fire and EMS crews coordinate on critical calls. Hospitals, including Columbia Memorial in Astoria and Providence Seaside, open their doors, allowing students to see emergency rooms, meet doctors and nurses and understand the hospital side of patient care. Life Flight crews showcase air transport operations, demonstrating how rural communities extend care across distance.
Montgomery said early exposure is critical in rural areas. Students who train locally are more likely to return to rural communities after completing professional education, helping address staffing shortages where healthcare services are often limited.
“Rural medicine has a staffing problem, but it also has a pipeline problem,” said State Representative Cyrus Javadi , who will be speaking at the first day of camp. “Programs like this make that path visible. They let students get close enough to the work to imagine themselves doing it. In rural communities, that is not some feel-good extra. It is part of how you build a future where help is still available when someone calls 911.”
For Brown, the program is about more than technical skills. She wants students to understand teamwork, community service and the range of careers that support emergency medicine.
“You have to really want it,” Brown said. “Even if EMS isn’t their final path, they’ll see all the ways they can support healthcare — from dispatch to hospital work to fire service. Even one student leaving with the spark I got at 17 is a success. That spark is how communities like ours keep help on the way when someone calls 911.”
Throughout the four days, students gain CPR certifications, learn basic patient care and practice scenarios in hospitals, ambulances and fire departments. They will also see the logistics behind the scenes, including billing and dispatch, helping them understand how emergency systems operate as a whole.
The program is designed to help students decide if a career in emergency medicine fits them, while also encouraging broader engagement with healthcare. Brown said her goal is to plant a seed — whether a student eventually pursues EMS, nursing or other medical fields, exposure at a young age increases confidence, familiarity and motivation.
“By the end of the week, students will have a concrete understanding of emergency care, hospital operations and the teamwork that makes it all possible,” she said. “They’ll see how rural healthcare works and understand their role in it.”
Students from towns across the county — from Warrenton to Seaside, from Nehalem to Cannon Beach — will experience the entire system.
Montgomery said the academy also introduces students to professional networks they can rely on for shadowing, volunteering and future career opportunities.
“Students will leave knowing the people, the process and the possibilities,” she said. “They will have the confidence to step into emergency medicine or any supporting healthcare role.”
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