Efforts by the Chickasaw County EMS department to recruit “young blood” into the field are paying off.
During Monday’s (12.30) Board of Supervisors meeting, EMS Director Joel Knutson sought approval to hire the first high school student from the EMS Explorer program, New Hampton junior Ella Knutson.
Joel Knutson says Ella will still need to go through standard orientation classes. He also noted that, while there’s no state regulation against it, County policy won’t allow Ella Knutson to drive an ambulance until she is 18.
For now, at age 17, unless the County changes its driving policy, she will serve in a patient-care role, after Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve her hiring effective January 1st.
Knutson says there are currently three high school students in the EMT Explorer program.
