Tragedy helps woman decide to be an EMT

MATTAWA — A Mattawa woman who was contemplating becoming and Emergency Medical Technician for half a year decided to do so after chancing upon a terrible tragedy on Sept. 1 and getting involved.

Noemi Osorio was the first to attempt to render assistance after a car hit a bike and rider at around 7 a.m. on Road 24 SW, which is the entrance to the community from Highway 243.

Osorio saw two cars in front of her pull over and wondered what was going on. As she went to pull over, she noticed a bike and a person on the ground near another car.

Osorio instructed her two school-age boys to stay in the car, grabbed her cell phone, and scurried toward the scene. As she approached, she was sure the man on the ground was deceased but, still, she decided to check.

“He was covered in blood,” she said. “I didn’t move him. I knew not to do that. But his arm was outstretched. So I checked for a pulse. I couldn’t feel one.”

Mattawa Police Chief John Turley, whom Osorio had called before she did anything else, arrived shortly, checked for a pulse and did not find one either. Meanwhile, Osorio moved over to the driver of the car, a friend who was hysterical.

“When the chief arrived she was really in tears,” Osorio said.

Other emergency personnel, who were observing the car driver, asked if she needed to talk to someone, a priest maybe. Osorio heard her say yes and called the pastor of Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church.

When the priest didn’t answer, Osorio called one of his secretaries.

“I know just about every business in town because of my work (for the school district), so I know the secretaries’ phone numbers,” she said.

“You could see she needed help,” Osorio said of the driver. “She was just not herself. “We took her to the ambulance, and she was taken to the fire station. The priest hadn’t arrived yet. So he met her at the fire station.”

When Grant County Fire District No. 8 EMT Barbara Davis Wilson arrived, Osorio was in the ambulance with the car driver. She left the ambulance to help Wilson with other tasks.

“She interpreted for us. She called the priest,” Wilson said.

At about 2 p.m. the same day, Osorio learned that the car driver was home. She went to her home, just doors from the school administration office, to check on her.

“She was more calm by then,” Osorio said.

Later, as she reflected on the day, especially her morning, Osorio felt proud of herself. It was not the kind of pride you shout out but an inner pride.

“If there was any doubt in my mind that I could handle being an EMT, I confronted that, and I did it. I didn’t panic. I told myself to be calm and deliberate.”

Osorio was so into rendering assistance that she ignored Turley when he said: “You go on to work. I’ll take care of this.” She stayed until there was nothing she could do to help.

“I was early that morning,” Osorio said. “I usually go by that spot later. I don’t know why I went by early.”

Osorio made up her mind she would become an EMT. She took her application to the Grant County Fire District No. 8 Mattawa station on Sept. 18.

“I’m excited now,” she said. “I want to do this. I’m ready for a new challenge.”

Fire Chief Dave Patterson and Wilson, who is also the GCFD 8 business manager, thought Osorio was ready for the challenge half a year ago. They met her when they all worked together on the Chief for a Day Program that bestows that honor on selected children with disabilities.

Patterson and Davis immediately saw an accomplished young woman who had much to offer. They saw her as a bilingual EMT who could enhance the capabilities of the department.

“It’s necessary,” Wilson said. “We have 95 percent Hispanics in Mattawa and closing in on 50 percent in Desert Aire. We have only four bilingual EMTs now.”

Overall, the department has only 27 volunteers to cover the entire Wahluke Slope. That’s a drop from 38 last year. New volunteers are needed.

Wilson and Patterson invite anyone interested to at least come but and chat. They especially need bilingual volunteers.

Osorio listened to Patterson’s and Wilson’s recruiting efforts and thought seriously about their proposition. But she would have to undergo serious training in Yakima two nights a week and every Saturday for three and a half months.

“I think what she was really doubtful about was the training,” Wilson said. “It takes a lot.”

Osorio, 33, is The Wahluke School District Administrative Assistant, which makes her Superintendent Aaron Chavez’s secretary and usually the first person to answer the district phone.

Osorio started her career in 2002 as a parapro and office substitute all over the district. In 2009 she became the secretary for Terry Davison and the special education department. Later she was secretary for Davison when Davison was the district business manager.

Chavez was in his second year in the district when he asked Osorio to be his secretary. She is still the secretary for special education and the business manager. She is also the WSD facilities use coordinator.

“If somebody wants to use one our buildings, they call me,” she said.

According to Wilson, Osorio needs to pass a background check, and her references will be reviewed. She needed to go to two consecutive local training sessions, which she has done. She said she was encouraged by the training sessions.

“It was great,” she said. “Some of the trainers from Yakima were there the first session. They come once or twice a year for recertifications. I was fortunate to go to that session.”

Osorio was able to learn what to expect in Yakima. She was eager for the next training session, which will be tomorrow night.

If she passes muster, Osorio will then start a probationary EMT period. She will shadow other EMTs when calls come in. She will also start the 260-hour training program that will require her to go to Yakima for three and a half months, three times a week.

“The last time they did it, it was Monday, Thursday and Saturday,” Wilson said. “She’ll be in class from 6-10 p.m. on weekdays and 8-4 on Saturdays.”

When Wilson saw Osorio in action for the first time, although it wasn’t planned, she was more than pleased. Osorio faced blood, death and mental anguish all at once.

“She held herself together,” Wilson said. “She didn’t allow herself to fall apart. I would have been fumbling with the phone trying to get a priest. We gave her a big pat on the back and told her she did really well.”

And reminded her there was a volunteer EMT position waiting to be filled.