Explorers gather round, don’t miss this chance

The Sevier County Rescue Squad Explorer Club offers an opportunity for young people ages fourteen to twenty-one to experience what it’s like to work on the Rescue Squad. “Our goal is to prepare them for a future in EMS or Rescue and to let them get an inside look,” says Jason Owens, the Sevier County Rescue Squad Explorer Club’s Assistant Advisor. The club meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the rescue Squad building on the Dolly Parton Parkway. The club began at the ambulance service and moved to the Rescue Squad in 1997. Although the Explorer program is technically a division of the Boy Scouts of America, “It has separate funding and it’s self-sufficient,” states Owens. “It is funded by donations from the Rescue Squad and fund raising.” “Last year we got quite a bit of money through the fair parking and car washes.” Says Todd Spence, the club’s Chief Advisor, adding, “Walmart is really good about whenever you have a car wash there, they have open arms. And then whatever we make, they match it penny for penny.” A typical meeting includes a business meeting followed by a training session, which includes medical training classes. Some classes are optional, but according to Owens, “It’s a requirement that they have Advanced First Aid and CPR.” “They get the hands on right from the get go. And its not just first aid. First aid is a major part of it. Jason is in swift water. Both of us are in incident command. I’m a visual tracker. I mean, there’s endless stuff you can do in here,” states Spence. Besides the training, club members also accompany the Rescue Squad personnel on the vehicles when responding to calls. Says Owens, “They can go out on any calls except motor vehicle accidents.” “At age eighteen Explorers have the opportunity at that point to go on into the rescue squad itself if they wish. We’ve had quite a few turn over into the rescue squad. He’s a prime example,” Spence says, pointing to Owens. “He started out as an Explorer, now he’s full into the rescue squad.” Explorers can also have fun and test their skills against other clubs in competitions that are held in Gatlinburg and other sites around the state. For more information about the Sevier County Rescue Squad Explorer Club contact Todd Spence or Jason Owens at 453-4809. “They wear uniforms,” Owens says, which includes a “special Explorer T-shirt. We’re working on getting an Explorer patch made.” “And with that shirt comes a great responsibility,” says Spence, adding, “They wear them all the time.”