Hawai‘i Fire Department firefighter and emergency medical technician Leinā'ala Hall is taking to heart a 2019 commencement message to “never stop learning” as she studies as a paramedic.
Hall, who according to Big Island Now, was among graduates on June 8, 2019, of the Hawai‘i Fire Department’s 46th firefighter recruit class, told the Big Island Times that she is going through Kapi‘olani Community College’s Mobile Intensive Care Technician (MICT) Paramedic Program.
“The MICT is prepared to perform advanced life support functions in the pre-hospital emergency setting under the direction of a medical doctor,” the program’s description said.
Hall, who is assigned to Central Fire Station in Hilo, said for the MICT program, she participates “in the online classes, labs and clinical experience at the hospital and on the ambulance.”
Hall’s Recruit Training Officer Chas Taketa said during the 2019 commencement exercises that graduates should be humble, remember their past and “never stop learning,” Big Island Now reported.
“This isn’t the end of training, this is the end of recruit training, which is the beginning of the training for the rest of your career,” Taketa said.
Hall has learned from each emergency to which she’s responded, helping her gain “on-the-road experience,” she said.
“There is always a possibility that we'll respond to an incident unlike anything we've ever managed before, and that is why we continue to learn and train and prepare ourselves in a myriad of ways,” Hall said.
Patients can benefit from first responders such as Hall because of the services they can offer, Hall said.
“We often are afforded a unique opportunity to participate in outreach to our community members, whether it be helping a patient understand how and why a problem occurs, maybe how to avoid certain preventable or recurring medical issues, or helping connect them with additional health or social services they need,” Hall said. “The most fulfilling aspect about the job is being able to help people when they are having possibly their worst day ever.”
People preparing for careers as firefighters and paramedics should first enjoy their “early adulthood and gain some life experience,” Hall said.
“Also, be or become a serious prepper. Prepare and practice rigorously for every assessment in the recruitment process. It will get you ready for recruit class and the rest of your career, where preparation is key,” Hall said. “It is a very demanding and extremely rewarding career. The community will rely upon you during times of crises, and that responsibility remains whether on or off duty.”