Coconino News

Coconino Community College issued the following announcement on Dec. 7.

Rachel Stice works as a dispatcher with the National Park Service at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Although she loves her job, she has designs on being a park Ranger. A first step on that journey is to get certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. Luckily for her, Coconino Community College’s Page Center offers an Emergency Medical Service course to help her achieve her goal.

 “I work a lot behind the scenes, behind the computer with our Rangers for visitor and resource protection,” Stice said. “Along with that, we have a lot of medical calls in our area.”

Working as a dispatcher has been highly rewarding, but she said she wants to take her service a step farther.

“I’ve come to learn that I want to get my EMT certification, so I can apply to become a park Ranger and help in the medical field,” Stice said. 

CCC began the EMS course at the Page Center in October 2020 after residents in the community asked for it along with a course for Certified Nursing Assistants, said Kay Leum, executive director of Extended Learning at CCC. The course is meant to prepare students for the EMT certification exam. Students learn how to provide a basic level of care, how to assess vital signs, how to care for wounds and more, in order to treat and transport sick and injured patients to a medical facility.

Stice said she’s always been attracted to the medical field. She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Northern Arizona University.

“I want to be an EMT because I like helping people in times of crisis,” Stice said. “And I think that would just be a fun experience for me.”

After her studies at CCC and after she takes the certification test, Stice said she will apply to become a park Ranger.

“There’s a lot that goes with being a park Ranger,” she said. “One, of course, being involved in law enforcement, but there’s also that medical side of it as well, and I can definitely see myself working in various national parks across the country and serving the general public.”

Stice began walking her path with the National Park Service as a person who staffs the fee booths, and after she graduated from college, she saw an opening for a dispatcher position.

“I was in a program called Pathways, which allows you to apply for any job you’re qualified for in the National Park Service,” Stice said, adding that her father was in law enforcement and she had some knowledge of the dispatching process. “It was a good opportunity for me to put my foot in the door.”

Ever since, she’s fallen in love with the profession and service to the people served by the National Park Service. 

As a dispatcher, she got a good look at what the Rangers do.

“Now, I’m kicking myself to go in that direction because I’m very interested in it,” she said, smiling. 

She’s grateful the CCC Page Center offers the EMS course.

“It means a lot because I’m still able to work my full-time position with the Park Service and still not be able to have any challenges with cancelling work or going out of my way to travel for courses,” she said. “So, it’s a very nice opportunity to be able to take this course and work. And it’s also nice to see that partnership between the Park Service and the local community college.”

Registration for the Spring semester is underway. Classes begin Jan. 10, 2022. 

Original source can be found here.