Cetronia Ambulance Corps recently offered the Lehigh Valley Press a chance to participate in the “Go for a Ride” program.

Reporters who took part experienced a day in the life of a Cetronia paramedic and emergency medical technician.

After receiving a tour of the ambulance and learning about some of the equipment from Cetronia Paramedic Austin Carpenter and EMT Robert Owen, this reporter, Carpenter and Owen were off to our first call - a patient with abdominal pains, who was transported to a local hospital.

Then, we were stationed at the Shell gas station along North Cedar Crest Boulevard, South Whitehall.

This is considered Cetronia’s Post 14, center of Carpenter and Owen’s territory, Carpenter explained.

Carpenter said when the 9-1-1 Call Center receives a medical call and dispatches it, Cetronia, at its headquarters in South Whitehall, then dispatches the closest ambulance to that call.

There are five types of medical calls: Alpha, a nonemergency without lights and sirens; Bravo, Basic Life Support transports; Charlie, Advance Life Support emergency transports (lowest ALS call), Delta, Advanced Life Support emergency transports (middle of the road ALS call) and Echo, Advance Life Support emergency transports (worst ALS call), Carpenter said.

He said the items taken into most calls are oxygen, the Life Pak machine, which can check blood pressure, monitor heart and pulse rates, and pulse oxygen.

Carpenter said another item is an orange box which carries the most commonly given medicines such as nitroglycerin, aspirin, Albuterol, Dextrose, IV supplies, airway and bandage supplies.

Carpenter, a 2011 graduate of Parkland High School, has been with Cetronia eight years and a paramedic since January.

“I worked on the wheelchair van for three years, then went to EMT school and then paramedic school,” he said.

“I never intended to be a paramedic but I needed a job after high school and went to EMT school and got bit by the EMT bug.

“It is a lot of fun being a paramedic. I think the fun part is getting to meet a lot of different people.

“My mother Kelly was a paramedic and my brother Shawn is a paramedic.”

Carpenter attended George E. Moerkirk Emergency Medicine Institute, Allentown, for both his EMT and paramedic training.

Without Cetronia paying for his EMT and paramedic training he would not have been able to advance in his career.

Owen, a 2010 graduate of Owen J. Roberts High School, Pottstown, has been an EMT for nine years.

He has been with Cetronia for four years.

“I became an EMT to help people,” Owen said. “My sister has cystic fibrosis and always told me I should help people in this world. That led me to want to do more good for people.”

Before working with Cetronia, Owen worked for a medical transport company taking patients to dialysis or home.

“It (Cetronia) is a great place to get a lot of experience,” Owen said.

“They are good at teaching you and offer great training opportunities.”

Owen went to North Montco Tech Career Center, Lansdale, Montgomery County, for his EMT training.

After about an hour at Post 14, we were dispatched for a patient with breathing difficulties at one of the local schools.

This call was canceled, and we returned to Cetronia’s headquarters.

From there, we were dispatched to our next call, a patient who was not breathing.

Unfortunately, the patient died before our arrival.

After Carpenter and Owen made sure all family members were OK, we were cleared from the call.

Our next call for the day was for a patient evaluation at a motor vehicle accident.

Before I knew it, my ride with Cetronia Ambulance Corps and learning about the life of a paramedic and EMT was over.

Cetronia’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations Kim Blichar discussed the ride-along program.

“We offer a ride-along program for anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in emergency medical services,” she said. “These people would be qualified before being accepted to ride for the day.

“Maybe they are taking a health care class, or just have a general interest in wanting to serve the community in this regard.

“Dates and times would be worked out once the candidate is prescreened.”