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I wanted to make a difference…for <br />other women like me, who might be <br />too afraid or not know about this <br />opportunity to do what they were <br />born to do, to help other people. <br />In this job, you meet a lot of people <br />on the worst day of their lives but <br />you might be able to make them feel <br />better. You might even be able to <br />make them laugh. There are calls <br />that just stick with you…some of <br />them are bad, but they make this job <br />worth doing, just helping people. <br />Brittany Mackie <br /> »EMT/Firefighter, Paramedic in training <br />Brittany Mackie pursued becoming an EMT because her older sister was burned in a <br />house fire as a child. “She is alive today because firefighters saved her life. That really <br />encouraged me to want to help save others’ lives.” <br />Brittany trained to become an EMT through <br />the Freedom House of St. Paul Fire, a program <br />which trains young St. Paul residents as EMTs, <br />focusing on diversity. When Brittany started <br />her training, she hadn’t been in school for some <br />time, and found the program challenging. “But <br />I didn’t give up,” she says. “I just kept thinking <br />about what my sister went through, and how I <br />can impact someone else’s life by helping them.” <br />In the end, she passed the EMT certification with <br />flying colors, and has been working as an EMT <br />for three years. She is now in training at Century <br />College to become a paramedic. <br />At one point in the training, she says she <br />considered dropping out. “But I kept going; <br />I couldn’t because of my kids,” she says. <br />"You don’t see a lot of people from my culture <br />or my color in this job. I wanted to make a <br />difference, not just for my sister, not just for my <br />kids, but also for other women like me, who <br />might be too afraid or not know about this <br />opportunity to do what they were born to do, to <br />help other people.” <br />Brittany says since she became an EMT she <br />has tried to encourage a lot of women of color <br />to consider a career in emergency medical <br />services. “I have responded to situations where <br />my color matters, where we will be on scene and <br />the person doesn’t want to talk with the police <br />officers or other medics that’s on scene,” she <br />says. “They’d rather talk to me because they feel <br />more trust with someone from their community.” <br />Anthony Shimek has been with Allina Health EMS for five years and works as a <br />paramedic and a Clinical Coordinator/FTO in Buffalo. Before training as a medic, <br />Anthony worked in the service industry for a number of years. Then a friend showed <br />him some of the course materials for an EMT class. “It interested me enough to <br />change gears and go take my EMT class,” Anthony says. <br />Anthony loved the idea of being able to help <br />people every day, but he knew he didn’t want to <br />be in school long enough to be doctor. He didn’t <br />like working in an office. He got his EMT training <br />and went on to train as a paramedic. He did all of <br />his ride along hours with Allina. <br />When Anthony was a student, he says he <br />perceived Allina as “the best of the best.” He <br />didn’t initially seek to work at Allina because as <br />a new medic, he didn’t think he was there yet. <br />But he says after joining, his perception has <br />shifted. “Now, I see Allina also as a great <br />place for new medics to grow,” he says. <br />Anthony Shimek <br /> »Paramedic, Clinical Coordinator/FTO <br />COMMUNITY REPORT 2018 1514 ALLINA HEALTH EMS