Paramedics pay visit to middle schoolers

Woodland — Woodland Middle School students learned about emergency preparedness during a visit from some local paramedics. Kanessa Thompson, a paramedic and communications coordinator for Clark County Emergency Medical Services, and Ben Huebschman, a paramedic for Multnomah County Emergency Medical Services in Oregon and a coach for the Woodland High School football team, were invited to speak to the students by Glen Flanagan, the middle school’s physical education teacher. They went over how to call 911, provided an introduction to CPR and demonstrated how to handle a variety of common injuries and emergency situations. Students learned how to perform a variety of first-aid skills, such as CPR, splinting and how to approach a situation where someone has been injured. Thompson and Huebschman also demonstrated equipment paramedics bring to the scene when someone calls 911, and gave students tours of an ambulance.