BodyText2
The job has changed since the onset of
the pandemic. Certain emergencies, like those necessitating CPR, now
call for full-body protection in the form of disposable coveralls. And
the ambulance disinfection process no longer happens on a case-by-case
basis, but after every transport. It is also more time-consuming what
used to be a manual, 10-minute wipe-down now requires half an hour and a
virus-killing spray gun filled with cleaning solution. But the biggest
change for student volunteers might be the added layer of uncertainty
each time an emergency vehicle pulls out of the station even for
routine calls.
We are definitely stepping into the unknown, said Olivia Alexander, an Aetna member and UD senior majoring in neuroscience. Our dispatchers do their best to get us all the information possible, but you just never know what youre walking into.
Alexander, who counts among her inspirations an uncle who served the
New York City Fire Department during 9-11, relayed a recent interaction
with a local homeowner. His problem turned out to be a carbon monoxide
leak nothing too harrowing for emergency personnel during normal times
but the mans constant coughing was understandably unsettling. (He
tested negative for COVID-19.)
The longer this goes on, Alexander added, the harder it is to be away from family. I do miss them, she said. And being from New York I also miss the pizza.
But serving with Aetna during a pandemic has its upsides, too,
members will tell you.
Take Michael Hemphill, an Honors sophomore mechanical engineering
major who, prior to the outbreak, had been looking forward to a
hands-on class project. He and his peers were set to use a high-tech
robotic arm, a six-axis computer-numerical-control router, to
manufacture a plate they designed to aid in the repair of a fractured
human bone. When classes were moved online due to COVID-19, the task was
put on hold. But, Hemphill explained, volunteering has tempered the
sting of disappointment: Helping someone out just makes you feel
better.