After disasters like Hurricane Sandy, many people throughout the community often come together and volunteer to help one another.  For Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), like HHS English teacher Kali Spoelstra, however, volunteering to help fellow citizens is a constant call to duty all year round.

Spoelstra has been part of the Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corporation for the past three years. She finished her classes and received her certificate on April 6, 2009 after four months of rigorous courses two days a week. A typical shift as an EMT begins with checking all the equipment. “We do a rig check; make sure we have the right amount of gas, supplies, oxygen, as well as make sure we’re ready for potentially serious calls,” Spoelstra said.

Every task in life has its ups and downs, even the ones of an EMT. Getting mundane calls such as assisting a sprained toe can make the job tough for Spoelstra, but exciting calls that keep her blood pumping are what make it worthwhile. For example, recently she and her group had to lift and move a 500-pound unconscious male. To help her through these situations, Spoelstra tries to keep her nerves calm as much as she can, focus on the job, and communicate with her fellow volunteers.

Being an EMT isn’t the only thing on Spoelstra to-do list. As a teacher at Hawthorne High School, she has many responsibilities on her plate. She teaches English III, SAT Prep, Journalism I, and Journalism II, which keeps her busy. “With over four classes to teach, along with library duty, and even planning for my wedding, I have tired to manage my time the best I can,” Spoelstra said. But as an EMT, even the best time-management plans fall apart with the phone rings and duty calls.

In this photo, Spoelstra is standing on the far left.