LABETTE COUNTY, Kans. — Labette Community College (LCC) now has its own ambulance, thanks to the County’s health care facility.
Labette Health Medical Center donated the ambulance to LCC. It will enable the health science program to give students firsthand training — and the EMT program will create disaster simulations to give students some hands-on experience.
Students in LCC’s graphic design program created the wrap for the ambulance.
“Being able to have this ambulance will really help them to kind of get the idea of what it’s going to be like working inside an ambulance. When they’re driving an ambulance, so really the possibilities are pretty endless on what they can do,” said Ross Harper.
“We’re excited to have this ambulance donated to the college. It’s a reflection of the history and relationship we’ve had with Labette Health for many years. Brian Williams is the CEO. They have outstanding staff, provide quality health care for services here in southeast Kansas,” said Dr. Mark Watkins.
Administrators say their partnership with Labette Health allows students to get valuable experience and the ambulance is an advertising tool to increase enrollment.
“Just having it out front, people realize we have the health science building but being a little bit more advertisement on that side and saying you know, hey what’s this about? Do you guys have a paramedic program? Do you have an EMT program? You know, building the enrollment on that will be really good,” added Harper.
According to the Kansas Department of Labor — there are around 148 EMT job openings annually.
“Students who are graduating from our programs are finding jobs at about a rate of well into the 90s 95% or so getting jobs. In some cases 100% are finding jobs in those respective fields,” said Dr. Watkins.
