Sometimes it takes awhile to decide what you want to be when you grow up.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
Cash Martin is already prepared for his future. The Milford High senior has finished his emergency medical technician certification and is looking forward to becoming a firefighter – when he’s old enough.
“For Lincoln Fire and Rescue, you have to be 19,” he said, adding that he will turn 18 this summer.
In between high school and the fire department, Martin hopes to work in Colorado on wildland fire crews or in Crete with its volunteer fire department. Crete is closer to his hometown of Pleasant Dale.
To become an EMT required extra classes, which Martin took through Southeast Community College. Usually, the EMT course is two semesters, but Martin took it in one. He had three four-hour days during the week, plus a four-hour lab that was more hands-on. He also spent two 10-hour shifts working with the fire department in York.
One of his toughest classes was medical terminology.
“Don’t get me started,” he said. “I have three cases of flashcards from 3,000 pages – every vocabulary word.”
Human anatomy was another challenge. Martin said they were tested over the parts of the body and how each could get hurt.
He said he had a lot of homework, but the classes weren’t horrible. He was the youngest in the class, by far.
“I’m age 17. Everyone else was older,” he said.
To earn the certification, Martin said, the students had to pass three tests. Two were done in front of judges, which was nerve-wracking, he said.
Then came the state exam, which involved a lot of studying.
The whole time, Martin was also attending his senior year classes at Milford High. He said he would do school homework and then EMT homework.
“My teachers helped with my class load,” he said.
Martin was able to pass all his exams on the first try. But now, his schedule is empty.
“Right now I’m so bored,” he said.
He’s looking forward to the spring track and field season where he pole vaults for the Eagles. He trains all year round, he said.
He’s also reviewing his flash cards to keep the terms fresh in his mind.
“I don’t want to lose the knowledge I worked so hard for,” he said.
He likes to do wood-working projects to relax and enjoys hunting when it’s hunting season.
“I’d study while I watched for deer,” he said.
The decision to become a firefighter stemmed from a job shadowing assignment, Martin said. Originally he wanted to be a welder, he said, but his friend Ella Montgomery’s dad is a fire captain, so Martin shadowed him.
“I had a really good time,” he said, and that encouraged him to make the change.
Before he joins Lincoln Fire and Rescue, he will have to take a physical test then attend the fire academy. Martin will be dual-certified as a firefighter/EMT but could become a firefighter/paramedic.
“Firefighting is a dangerous job, but welding has lung issues,” he said.
He said his family was not thrilled with his first choice to be a welder, but he said, he was good at welding.
“I think this is a better idea,” he said, with a smile.
