High school First Responder training in Ahousaht

Eight secondary students and their teacher in Ahousaht completed first responder training thanks to BCEHS Youth Pathways Program partnering with Maaqtusiis Secondary School and Columbia Medical.
Use this image as both the current Page Image and for News listings

Left to right: Deb Roberts, BCEHS Youth Pathways Program Lead, Don Adams, First Responder trainer, Carli Klapstein, teacher, students Reid and Michael, Qwayacnit Hakuum, BCEHS Senior Director, Indigenous Health, students Hayden, Louie, Derek, Daisy, and Lyndsay Esson, BCEHS Clinical Operations Manager, Oceanside.

​This Youth Pathways initiative came together after a naloxone training workshop at the high school last fall.

“October 17 of last year, we went into the community, and we did Narcan education training in the high school just for the day. The next day the principal and the teacher phoned me and said we’ve actually seen a spark in the kids. Everybody’s talking about it, everyone’s excited, they want to do more. ‘Can we do EMR [Emergency Medical Responder]?', remembers Deb Roberts, BCEHS Youth Pathways Lead.

Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) are trained and then licensed to administer basic life-saving emergency medical care, including airway management, and they can also transport patients.

Knowing that a high school Emergency Medical Responder Program would take longer to arrange, Deb reached out to the Columbia Medical Program, and, to certified trainer Don Adams - a part-time Primary Care Paramedic based in Port Alberni. They decided a First Responder program would be more manageable as it is usually taught over eight days and two days online in the community.

The First Responder program teaches basic emergency care and response techniques, basic life support, patient assessment, and stabilization until emergency medical personnel arrive.

Don was available to teach the First Responder program in the school every Friday from January until the end of the school year. Columbia Medical provided the First Responder program free of charge to the school, BCEHS covered the trainer’s travel costs, and the school accessed funding to pay for his teaching hours as well as the water taxi, and equipment and supplies. Several BCEHS staff members provided additional support.

Ahousaht teens in First Responder Training program

"The course was educational learning, fun, exciting and very hands-on,” says student Michael George. "When we were all finished, I was happy for all of us to be ready to help when we’re needed."

Don teaching in the First Responder program

 “The best part for me was seeing the kids latch on to it and seeing their passion and excitement for the work,” said teacher Carli Klapstein who also completed the program.

“There are several students who want to be nurses and firefighters. I found with this course they were stoked to be there and were so excited to just learn the skill,” adds Carli who plans on taking the train-the-trainer course to teach the First Responder Program in the school going forward.

Deb Roberts, BCEHS Youth Pathways Lead

“It’s exciting, I just love seeing the kids grow, it just opens their eyes,” says Deb, who remembers one student telling her after the CPR training: “I love it, I didn’t know I could do something like CPR.”

BCEHS Senior Director of Indigenous Health, Qwayacnit Hakuum, who is from Ahousaht, attended the graduation ceremony and delivered a chant and prayer.

BCEHS Senior Director of Indigenous Health, Qwayacnit Hakuum

"I feel such pride and honour knowing the future is in incredible hands. We will continue to build up emergency health support from within our own communities.”

After completing the course, the students have one year to take their licensing exams to become licensed First Responders.

The BCEHS Youth Pathways program introduces high school students and young adults to the world of emergency health services. In the past few years, Youth Pathways has seen significant growth in its high school Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) programs.

Designed for students in grades 11 and 12, the EMR training is taught by high school teachers through partnership with schools, the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and the Columbia Medical Program. The course covers basic anatomy and physiology, emergency response protocols, and hands-on skills to prepare students for EMR certification—an entry point into emergency medical services and health care careers.

The Youth Pathways program has been implemented in 12 schools throughout the province, and there are plans to increase that number to 16 schools in 2025/2026, with some schools providing classes over two semesters. In June 2024, 50 students graduated, with 37 earning their EMR licences. In June 2025, nearly 200 students completed the EMR course with more than 100 pursuing their EMR licence.

Deb says the program expansion is exciting.  In a survey, she said almost every one of 70 students who responded said they were pursuing a career in health care or emergency services, including paramedicine, nursing, as x-ray or ultrasound technicians, kinesiologists and physiotherapists. “They did their EMR and then applied and got into these programs.”