You never know when an act of kindness could turn someone’s day around. For those youth who are looking to help others and become more involved in their community, a new program aims to train junior EMS volunteers.

This program is perfect, organizers said, for youth ages 14 to 18 in the Port Allegany and Smethport school districts.

This is the first year that the Port Area Ambulance Service will host the Junior EMS Program.

“Our main goal is to get the local youth involved in EMS and give them the opportunity to get some exposure with this field,” said Emma Kohler, organizer. “This is another outlet for our youth to come and explore their interests.”

This program includes hands-on training that teaches life-saving skills and first aid techniques. Students will get to ride along on calls and participate in community service activities, learning valuable teamwork and leadership skills along the way.

“Our students will learn what it takes from day to day to keep the ambulance service going — everything from what it takes to keep the truck stocked to learning the names of each tool and how it is used,” said Kohler.

Instructors will build from that experience, immersing students even further in day-to-day life as a first responder. All students will become certified in CPR and those who are old enough will be eligible to go on ride-alongs with the crew.

“We hope that some of these kids will go on to take an EMR class, the EMT class and hopefully eventually gain some new providers in this process,” said Kohler. “The EMR class is a great way for people who are maybe on the fence about a career or volunteering with emergency services, this is a good starting point.”

The program will run throughout the year, from July to June.

“We are kind of following the academic year but we will still have events throughout the summer too,” said Kohler.

Those who want to participate in the program must maintain a certain grade point average, among other rules.

“There are certain standards that they have to keep,” said Kohler. “This program teaches a lot about responsibility and consistency as well as the importance of helping others.”

She hopes that students who take the course walk away having learned a little more about the community they are a part of.

“This is something that exposes you to all walks of life,” said Kohler. “You really see how other people live and how you can help them.”

To learn more, contact Kohler at (814) 596-7152 to register for the upcoming information session.