For those who have seen the signs around town, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NVAC) is hosting its fall EMT class from September-December. But Steve Rambone, lead EMT instructor, said to sign up now because spots fill up quick. Rambone has been a member of NVAC for 35 years and has been teaching the EMT class for 12. Before teaching the EMT class, Rambone was a schoolteacher in New York for 38 years.

Class begins on September 8 and runs through mid-December. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-10 pm, and includes some Saturday classes as well. Students are required to complete 150 hours of classroom instruction and do at least ten “ride-alongs.”

Rambone said that the class caps at 20 students. “We used to have larger classes, but I found that when we do the breakout sessions, it’s much better to have smaller group settings … It’s just that it’s a better experience for the students.”

“We’re very proud of the EMT class,” Rambone said. “We have an excellent pass rate for the state testing.”

The class is not limited to Newtown residents, either, nor is it limited to those who are going for a career as emergency medical technicians. Rambone said he has had several people take the class for the knowledge, noting that he had two 80-year-olds in his class a few classes back. Topics go beyond “cardiac arrest,” as Rambone pointed out. While the topics will cover cardiac issues, the content goes much deeper than that.

“I love teaching the EMT class because it is so varied. You know, a lot of people think that in an EMT class you’re going to learn just about cardiac emergency — someone having a heart attack — and yes, that’s part of it, but there’s so much to learn. We go all the way from anatomy and physiology and we cover EMS law, which is a very complicated subject. Then we go into different kinds of medical illnesses … then we go into operations such as radio operations, vehicle operations,” Rambone said.

With so many topics to cover, guest lecturers often come to the class to continue deepening the education of the students. Rambone said doctors and nurses sometimes stop by, and sometimes car extrication experts will help go over the procedures and safety parameters of removing someone from a car safely.

“If you talk to people who have taken the class, they’ve really enjoyed it … Whether they became an EMT or not, and this is what I really want to get across,” Rambone said, “it’s the information you will learn in the class will serve you for life.”

This point was echoed again when Rambone was asked what he would say to those who are on the fence about taking the class. He said very simply, “Take it. Don’t be scared.” He urges readers to try it and see how they like it.

“We have a number of people that were in that exact same boat here that are now very active members,” Rambone shared. He reiterated his point that the knowledge will not disappear if someone chooses to not continue the EMT path. He also said to sign up quickly as the class tends to fill up. Requirements for the EMT class are that a person has to be at least 16 at the time they take their state exams and has to be “somewhat physically fit.”

Climbing stairs and being able to provide lift assist are essentials of the job. Tuition is $950, but NVAC offers a special for Newtown residents. If a Newtown resident that is 18 or older signs up, they have to pay the $350 deposit and the second portion of the tuition ($600) will be waived. If that student returns to NVAC and spends a year with the volunteer group, the original deposit will be refunded. Rambone said there have been a few students who have taken that path.

A spring class will be offered from January to April with the same schedule, Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-10 pm with occasional Saturday instruction. Rambone said, historically, ambulance corps and the fire service were established to help neighbors. He asked, “If we don’t have concerned people joining our ambulance, who is going to come to [residents’] house[s] if they are sick and ill? If their mother is sick and ill? ... We are neighbors helping neighbors … that’s the goal of being a good citizen: helping others. Helping others in need.”

Registration for the fall EMT class can be completed by going to newtown-ambulance.org and clicking the “EMT Classes” tab at the top of the page.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.