For a young person seeking to learn the basics of first aid, there are no greater teachers for such lessons than those who put those skills to use on a daily basis. For 10 young ladies in Chocowinity’s Girl Scout Troop 1016, that opportunity was available last Thursday, as Chocowinity Fire and EMS opened its doors for a night of learning.

For those who participated in the training, the night’s lessons placed them one step closer to obtaining their first aid badges, a critical piece of every scout’s training. For the girls of troop 1016, a group of athletes and lovers of the great outdoors, the first aid training may come in handy one day.

“Our girls are very active,” troop leader Kim Boyd said. “A lot of them participate in sports and we go camping and do a lot of outdoor activities, so it’s important for them to know how to tell when someone is hurt or sick.”

While eight girls made significant progress towards their badges, two scouts, Maddie Cannefax and Alexis Jones, earned their CPR certifications. From bandages and bruises to broken bones and allergies, the training, courtesy of the Chocowinity Fire and EMS members, will empower the girls to know how to respond in an emergency situation.

“I learned that even if your phone is powered off and you can’t call anybody, you can still call 911,” one scout said.

Whether summoning emergency medical personnel or treating a patient themselves, the lessons they learned may save a life one day. At least one scout said she may pursue emergency medicine as a career one day.

“We really have more interest from the kids than we do from the adults sometime,” Chocowinity EMT Janet Webster said. “They’re curious and they ask a lot of questions.”

“If we start them early, we can bring them into the profession,” Chocowinity EMS Captain Shane Grier added.

Each year, Chocowinity Fire and EMS offers first aid and CPR trainings to hundreds of people from Beaufort County and beyond. For more information on training sessions, call the department at 252-946-6559.