VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Four medics are immersing themselves in the local healthcare system right here in Hampton Roads.
It’s all part of the Virginia Beach EMS Exchange Program. The program allows students to study abroad and observe how first responders in different countries save lives.
The four German medics will be in the state for the next three weeks, starting their visit in Virginia Beach. 13News Now caught up with one of the students to hear what they hope to gain from this experience and how it will influence their work back home.
“They’re traveling to Virginia Beach, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Bristol, and Blacksburg,” said Laura Grabarczyk. “So, they’re getting a full Virginia experience of EMS.”
She knows the benefits of this program as an exchange student herself, only a year ago. Now she’ll host four visitors from Kasteel, Germany.
The Virginia Beach EMS Exchange Program dates to 1995. Students in the program observe different EMS systems and how they work in different countries.
Luisia Hornschuh said that instead of learning from a book, this experience will give her a chance to see how things work in real-time.
“Here, you work really on your own with no doctors behind you, and in Germany, we have a system with doctors, and we’re not allowed to do so much on our own,” said Hornschuh.
EMS workers in Virginia Beach also say the program highlights technological differences and growth opportunities.
“They have ventilators on the ambulance themselves, which is something they're starting to bring to the United States to ambulances consistently, but that is still, relatively, a new thing,” said Grabarczyk.
The Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads selects each member to be a part of the program. Traditionally, exchange students tour public safety systems abroad at hospitals, police, fire, and rescue stations.
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