ROYAL CITY - A discussion with a co-worker in 1986 resulted in Mike Flerchinger volunteering with Grant County Fire District No. 10 and becoming an EMT.

Flerchinger's friendship with Willis Miller and Steve McDonald, then the fire chief, also played a role. He is now a firefighter.

"The time factor kept me from staying certified as an EMT," Flerchinger said. At that time the fire district had lots of first responders but was short on EMTs."

Flerchinger lives in District 11 and responds with either district 10 or 11 as needed.

"People burn out and move away and die off," Flerchinger said. "We constantly need new volunteers both as firefighters and EMTs."

The things Flerchinger learned back in 1986 in EMT training have stayed with him. Thankfully so.

"The only time I used the Heimlich maneuver was on a member of my own family. I successfully applied the Heimlich to my 26-year-old son, who had inhaled a piece of a hot dog when someone told a joke while he was eating. It was over before anyone else realized he was in trouble."

Mike noted the district covers a big area. Emergency personnel can get to some areas quickly. Others take a long time to travel.

"We have responded almost everywhere, including near the top of the Saddle Mountain for a plane crash," he recalled. "I've been at this so long that almost every area has a memory of a call."

Flerchinger suggested that everyone should take the training to get at least a first-aid card. He said that when a person with first-aid training comes onto the scene of an accident, he or she can react with that training rather than with emotions.

Flerchinger mentioned an interesting call from many years back. It was a car that rolled on Interstate 90 near the Wild Horse Monument.

"We found the driver in the median," Flerchinger recalled. "He had been ejected through the sun-roof of the car and had taken the frame of the sun-roof with him, which was now around his chest.

"He said his chest hurt, and he felt much better after I cut the frame with a bolt cutter and released him.

"It had been raining heavily, but the alcohol the driver had consumed was the real cause of the wreck.

"At that time our EMT coveralls were bright orange. On the way to the hospital the patient asked if he were in heaven. I told him no. Half a minute later he asked again.

"After the sixth repeat of the same question, I asked him to look at me and tell me if he thought I looked like I was in heaven. He stared at the orange suit for several seconds and let out a wail and expressed that he thought he was in hell.

"I assured him he was not there either, but in an ambulance on the way to the hospital."

Another incident involved a stabbing victim. The victim, who was drunk, was refusing treatment.

Flerchinger sat down beside the subject and said: "Then we will just wait a few minutes until you pass out. That will give us implied consent, and then we can take you to the hospital."

The subject then agreed to be transported.

"This community can be proud of our volunteer fire department and ambulance," Flerchinger said. "We receive the same standard of training as does any paid fire/EMS agency in the state. We have a good fire training officer and a good fire chief.

"I don't think the community realizes the amount of time it takes to maintain our skills and to respond to calls. It takes time from family and work.

"Volunteers, including our firefighters and EMTs are the backbone of our community. We need more help. Some people cannot volunteer for the fire department or ambulance, but there are other ways to volunteer for our community."