Ambulance squad member Sean Doocey (left) and firefighter Tony Shaw strategize during last year’s mock accident at Bromfield. (Photo by Rob Williams)

Harvard is one of the few towns in Massachusetts with an all-volunteer ambulance service, and only one of two that allows students younger than 18 years of age to take Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training and become full-fledged members of the ambulance squad. The squad is always looking for more volunteers, especially because many of the squad members are Bromfield seniors who will graduate and leave town to attend college. Having Bromfield students on the squad is essential to its squad’s success, as it means that more trained volunteers are available to respond to emergency calls during the day. Lily Baddour, who manages Harvard’s EMS training program and is an EMT herself, says that the program “offers a unique and very special opportunity” for students to experience and fully participate as a part of the ambulance service while still in high school.

While new students are needed every year, Baddour emphasizes that adults interested in serving on Harvard’s Ambulance Service are also very highly prized because once they are trained, they tend to stay on the squad longer.

According to Baddour, EMT training is a rigorous program that runs from September to May. EMS students will participate in classroom instruction, as well as practical training and hands-on experience. The program is free to Harvard residents. Anyone interested in taking the EMS program is invited to attend a meeting May 1 at 7 p.m. in the Cronin Auditorium, Baddour said. She added that students interested in applying to the program must bring a parent to ensure that the parent understands the obligations and commitment required and that, to be considered, students must be at least 16½ by the time they complete the class.