Rescue Divas EMT Recruitment

Description

The nation's rural emergency services have been described as perpetually under-resourced and under-staffed. The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health (WORH) supported a 2023 analysis to further explore another element of its state's rural EMS care: Reliability, the ability to provide “ambulance response to a 911 request for service 24 hours per day.” This report outlined that the workforce needed to provide this level of service requires at least 24/7/365 availability of at least two emergency medical responders and translates into nearly 18,000 hours of annual staffing coverage.

Although these reports are recent, Wisconsin rural health leaders have long understood this workforce need and, in 2014, created a pipeline program, Rescue Divas, aimed at increasing the rural EMS workforce. In 2015, Rescue Divas, geared to 6th to 8th grade girls, began offering its program to promote consideration of a future EMS career, including service as a volunteer.

With WORH support in program creation, sustainability planning, and the inaugural year's funding, the program is annually organized by the Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program (Northwest Wisconsin CEP), a regional non-profit job-training organization that serves, as its name indicates, ten counties in northwest Wisconsin, either entirely rural or a majority rural. In 2026, Rescue Divas entered into its second decade with the recognition that the camp had nearly 200 alumni.

The program delivers its curriculum by leveraging one of the region's summer camps for five days. Program leaders organize activities that include exploratory career information offered through presentations given by local EMS and law enforcement leaders. However, hands-on skill-building sessions, like training in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Stop the Bleed, and use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) are also given. Since the program's start, a local search and rescue service offers an exercise where campers practice tracking, work in a mock command center, and interact with search dogs. Some experiences vary from year to year linked to the availability of the volunteer staff.

The Rescue Diva website hosts a yearly recap of the camp activities, including photos. An online application is available around the first of April for the August camp experience. Usually receiving around twice the applications for the available accommodations, 20 participants are selected. Current costs per attendee is around $50 dollars, about 5% of an individual's total cost. Scholarships are also available.

Financial support is gained through Northwest Wisconsin CEP fundraising efforts and donations by area sponsors which include healthcare organizations, technical and community colleges, and businesses. EMS providers and law enforcement personnel volunteer their time and services.

In the past ten years, numerous replication requests have been directed to the program's toolkit, hosted by WORH.

Services offered

During the 5-day camp experience, middle school girls (grades 6-8) from northwest Wisconsin rural schools learn about future positions and careers in emergency medicine through hands-on learning.

A partial list of activities include: Training in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Stop-the-Bleed, and even automated external defibrillator (AED) use with campers becoming certified in First Aid and CPR over the course of the week. Rescue-themed games include an EMS obstacle course and EMS-focused charades. Local ambulance crews bring equipment for hands-on experiences. Law enforcement professionals are also involved. Additionally, participants engage in traditional camp experiences like crafts, swimming, and campfires.

This picture slideshow from the 2015 Rescue Divas summer camp provides a glimpse into its fun and interactive learning opportunities:

Results

The campers' EMS-linked knowledge and their comfort levels with emergency situations are evaluated through a pre- and post-assessment. Pre-camp assessment often reveals some participant hesitancy and insecurity when asked to engage in an emergency situation of unconscious patient, with campers often needing to be directed in implementing initial steps like calling 911. However, the post-camp assessment process has consistently revealed an increased assertiveness and confidence as demonstrated with responses to another mock emergency scenario.

Written evaluations have also consistently demonstrated an increased interest in pursuing an EMS career, with some campers sharing that they're considering other healthcare careers.

As is the case with the majority of K-12 rural pipeline programs, long-term career choice tracking is challenging. A program-specific social media page has provided some anecdotal information. For example, because of her daughter's camp participation, one participant's mother shared she was inspired to become an EMS provider.

Another public comment was this message:

• I attended Rescue Divas in 2018. This camp truly changed my life. I always knew I wanted to pursue a medical career but going to camp helped me realize how much I love emergency medicine. I am currently enlisted in the Army National Guard, training to become a combat medic. I have gotten my EMT certification during my training and have been able to practice different emergency medicine techniques. Attending Rescue Divas was a big contribution to my medical career journey.

Challenges

Dependency on volunteer curriculum presenters' time and schedules, especially those working in emergency services and law enforcement.

Tracking participant's eventual career choice(s).

Despite the generosity of funders, financial support remains the biggest challenge and the primary limitation to participant numbers.

Replication

Program leaders report that over the first decade, several replication requests have been received and the WORH's toolkit, Rescue Divas EMS Summer Camp for Girls, has been a valuable resource, including adaptability to a boys camp.

Contact Information