Continued Volunteer Training and More

We at Arkansas Valley Ambulance District pride ourselves on ensuring our volunteers receive continuous training opportunities to refresh skills and knowledge regularly. Many of the skills range from CPR/AED, airway management, stop the bleed, extrication from vehicles with local fire agencies, neonatal resuscitation, and much more! The selfless volunteers of AVAD work endlessly to provide the best care possible to our community.

Once a year in November the Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado (EMSAC) offers a three day training to EMS personnel in Keystone, CO.  AVAD and Fremont County Emergency Management together help sponsor many of our EMTs to attend this excellent conference for continued education every year.

 

 

Colorado EMS Statewide Conferences (EMSAC)

 

2023 EMSAC

Four people standing in front of "Flight For Life Colorado" banner at an EMS conference.
Attendees of the EMSAC conference 2023. From left to right: Lex Wayson, Beth Black, Mark Rowland, and Larry Eggleston.

 

Medical personnel train on a child manikin, providing CPR and ventilation on a stretcher.
Lex Wayson performing Neonatal Resuscitation training with the Children's Hospital of Colorado while attending EMSAC 2023.

 

2024 EMSAC

A group of six smiling people outdoors, snowy mountains in the background.
Attendees of the EMSAC conference 2024. From left to right: Mitch McCann, Lex Wayson, Trisha Litz, Alex Tonnesen, Teri Shaw, Doug Shaw. 

 

2025 EMSAC

A group of seven people, wearing casual outdoor clothing, standing in sunlight in front of a building with large windows.
Attendees of the EMSAC conference 2025. From left to right: Alex Tonnesen, Doug Shaw, Teri Shaw, Keri Gage, Lex Wayson, Sierra Romero, and Dillon Ormsby.
A group of people posing indoors, each holding an item, with a presentation screen in the background.
Lex Wayson with other EMSAC attendees after winning prizes for correctly identifying unsual case presentations during an EMSAC 2025 training course. 

 

 

 

 Continued Hands-On Training: 2025

Monthly, AVAD volunteers gather to train and refresh skills and knowledge. These topics can range from critical care, spine immobilization, CPR, respiratory and cardiac emergencies, pediatric care, and much more! 

 

Emergency responders training outside a building with an ambulance and equipment.
Equipment from ambulance used for training exercise.
A group of people are gathered around a person on the ground near an ambulance, seemingly for a medical exercise or training.
EMS team gathered around to begin a practice training scenario.
A person on a stretcher surrounded by EMS personnel and onlookers near an ambulance.
EMTs running a practice scenario with use of proper backboarding techniques.
A group assisting a person secured to a stretcher with colored straps, indicating a rescue or medical situation.
High tech full body vacuum mattress to package a patient during training.
Emergency responders training outside a building with an ambulance and equipment.
A group of people are gathered around a person on the ground near an ambulance, seemingly for a medical exercise or training.
A person on a stretcher surrounded by EMS personnel and onlookers near an ambulance.
A group assisting a person secured to a stretcher with colored straps, indicating a rescue or medical situation.

 

 

 

 

Extrication Training: June 2024

 AVAD, Howard Volunteer Fire Department, Western Fremont Fire Department, and Deer Mountain Fire Protection District all got together for an indepth training involving vehicle extrication training, scene assessment, and safety training at critical motor vehicle collisions. Fire departments practiced with extrication equipment, while EMS practiced with patient care and extrication in multiple scenarios. As many of these agencies often work together on critical scenes, it's an excellent way to build our collective team.

 

Emergency responders and firefighters assess a red overturned vehicle. An ambulance is on the scene.
Vehicle extrication training with AVAD, Howard Volunteer Fire Department, and Western Fremont Fire Protection District. June 2024.

 

Rescue team assists a person trapped in a car with a stick through the windshield.
Vehicle extrication training with AVAD, Howard Volunteer Fire Department, and Western Fremont Fire Protection District. EMS personnel training on injured patient care during the extrication process. June 2024.

 

A group of firefighters and emergency personnel posing in front of fire and rescue trucks, holding a car door.
All who attended vehicle extrication training with AVAD, Howard Volunteer Fire Department, Western Fremont Fire Protection District, and Deer Mountain Fire Protection District. June 2024.

 

 

Cotopaxi Football Games

AVAD assists at the Cotopaxi football games at many of their homegames. We are always happy to support our community in all ways possible. At their homecoming game AVAD, Howard Volunteer Fire Department, and Deer Mountain Fire Protection District were all in attendance. We are in this together.

A group of eight people in casual outdoor wear standing in front of a vehicle with emergency symbols.
AVAD, HVFD, and DMFPD in attendance at Cotopaxi homecoming football game.
Two people in uniform smiling in front of an open emergency vehicle.
AVAD EMTs Lex Wayson and Keri Gage with AVAD's newest ambulance.
A group of people watching a football game on a grassy field with mountains and trees in the background.
Image of Cotopaxi football game.
A group of eight people in casual outdoor wear standing in front of a vehicle with emergency symbols.
Two people in uniform smiling in front of an open emergency vehicle.
A group of people watching a football game on a grassy field with mountains and trees in the background.

 

 

 Howard Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Breakfast Fundraising

In support of our local fire department and support agency, AVAD often volunteers at their pancake breakfast fundraising events.  We help with early morning set ups, cooking, food running, collecting plates, cleaning, and break down of the event whenever possible. HVFD has been a great support team for AVAD, and we are glad to help them too.

People serving and enjoying food, likely at a community event or gathering; a person holding plates of pancakes.
Alex Tonnesen with AVAD working on pancakes.
Person cooking sausages on a griddle in a kitchen, smiling, with another person in the background.
Lex Wayson with AVAD cooking sausages.
People in a kitchen, some wearing "Wildland Fire Team" shirts. One waves at the camera. Plates and kitchen equipment visible.
AVAD and HVFD volunteers working hard in the kitchen.
People gathered in a large hall, seated at tables, socializing and eating.
Howard community enjoying breakfast together.
Pancakes cooking on a large griddle, with a person flipping them.
Fresh pacakes.
People serving and enjoying food, likely at a community event or gathering; a person holding plates of pancakes.
Person cooking sausages on a griddle in a kitchen, smiling, with another person in the background.
People in a kitchen, some wearing "Wildland Fire Team" shirts. One waves at the camera. Plates and kitchen equipment visible.
People gathered in a large hall, seated at tables, socializing and eating.
Pancakes cooking on a large griddle, with a person flipping them.

 

 

Assisting our local Volunteer Fire Departments

Did you know that when our local volunteer fire departments are called to manage a fire we are also dispatched? AVAD stays on scene for the duration of the call to support our fire fighters, often for several hours until the clean up process is done. We are always ready to provide aid if someone is injured including firefighters. Other duties involve helping them to swap our their tanks, ensuring they stay hydrated, grabbing additional equipment, and even sometimes to help with their water trucks as many of our EMTs also volunteer with Western Fremont Fire Protection District.

 

A wooden deck with stools, overlooking a field and mountains; smoke rises from a distant building and an ambulance is nearby.
AVAD ambulance driving to scene of active fire.
Firefighters extinguishing a small structure fire near a tree, with smoke rising and equipment nearby.
EMT Mitch McCann standing near firefighters ready to help.
Emergency vehicles and personnel on a dirt road, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
AVAD ambulance staged nearby during fire clean up process.
A person in outdoor gear adjusts an MSA air tank, wearing gloves, on a snowy, grassy area with hoses nearby.
EMT Mitch McCann helping to swap out a firefighter's tank.
Firefighters near a water tank with a hose filling a portable pool from a red truck in a wooded area.
EMT Doug Shaw assisting HVFD with water tanker.
A wooden deck with stools, overlooking a field and mountains; smoke rises from a distant building and an ambulance is nearby.
Firefighters extinguishing a small structure fire near a tree, with smoke rising and equipment nearby.
Emergency vehicles and personnel on a dirt road, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
A person in outdoor gear adjusts an MSA air tank, wearing gloves, on a snowy, grassy area with hoses nearby.
Firefighters near a water tank with a hose filling a portable pool from a red truck in a wooded area.