By Nyxi Gammieri
A panicked voice fills the room. An elderly woman lies in pain as her son urges responders to move faster.
Instead of rushing her out the door, though, EMTs begin treatment there — something many people don’t realize they’re trained to do.
For Brandy Heustis, moments like this are part of the job — and of what she now brings into the classroom.
With nearly 14 years of experience in emergency medical services, Heustis teaches EMS 1021 at FRCC’s Larimer campus, where real-world experience shapes how students are trained.
“We’re not just ambulance drivers,” she said. “We actually get to do medicine in people’s homes or in the back of our ambulance.”
That perspective carries into the structure of the course. Over 15 weeks, it is divided into five sections. Students attend for more than three hours a day, four days a week.
Training puts students in situations they may encounter in the field. Through hands-on exercises and simulations, they learn to assess patients, communicate effectively, and respond under pressure.
Some exercises involve instructors or volunteer former students acting out scenarios, allowing them to practice both technical skills and interpersonal decision-making in real time.
“We use real-world scenarios based on calls that we’ve run,” she said.
Students also learn the unpredictable nature of emergency work, where no two situations are the same.
“There is no typical day in EMS,” she said.
While many enter the course expecting something more basic, Heustis said students often come to understand the level of commitment required as the semester progresses.
Throughout EMS 1021, students build confidence as they apply their knowledge in increasingly complex scenarios.
“You guys actually know what you’re doing,” Heustis tells her students near the end of the course.
“I would feel OK if you went and ran on my grandma,” she tells them, using EMT lingo for responding to an emergency.
Beyond the classroom, the training connects students with the community through clinical experiences with hospitals, fire departments, and emergency services. Students also participate in volunteer-based activities that extend their learning outside of class.
One of the program’s most distinctive components is a full-scale mass casualty incident drill. The all-day event brings together students from EMS, nursing, and law enforcement programs to simulate a large-scale emergency. Participants practice triage and coordinated response alongside ambulances and helicopters, creating a realistic training environment.
Heustis said the program’s expectations set it apart.
“We push our students a lot more than a lot of other programs,” she said.
Heustis said the program is continuing to grow with the addition of a paramedic program set to begin in the fall, which is open for applications.
While EMS 1021 is part of the introductory EMT coursework, the paramedic program will offer more advanced training.
She said the goal is to expand both programs while maintaining strong instruction and avoiding gaps in training.
“I want my students to come out being that confident provider,” she said.
For her, she said, the goal is to prepare students for the realities of the field and the responsibilities that come with it.
“This job isn’t like what they show on TV,” she said. “It is so much more.”
