The pulse of HEART

There's no shortage of stories, laughter and memories when Darla Meyer, Pam Sease, Missy Young and Rodney Ahrenstorff get together.

After all, they've been each other's second family for decades now.

"We're a tight-knit bunch," said Sease. "The people that I call when I need something are ambulance members."

The quartet has served on the Hartley Emergency Ambulance Rescue Team (HEART) in varying tenures – Meyer for 43 years, Sease for 39, Young for 27 and Ahrenstorff for 25. They've all held leadership positions within the agency as well, with some serving time in each slot.

The group's dedication to the ambulance team is rooted in a passion for community service. Put simply, helping their neighbors in Hartley is why they've done it for so long.

"You always want to help people. That's the main core of it," said Ahrenstorff, who serves as HEART's director. "If you're in it for the pay, you're in it for the wrong reasons."

• The only thing constant is change

The group has witnessed a plethora of changes to emergency services over the past few decades. Most notably have been the rise in personal protection gear, the use of medical helicopters and an increase in vehicle safety.

"We didn't even use gloves when I first started," Meyer recalled. "We don't see the injuries we used to. When there was a car accident it was bloody, it was trauma, it was horrible. Now, you can have a head-on collision and you just don't have the fatalities and the major injuries."

There's no hospital in Hartley anymore either, which makes calls take longer nowadays. Additionally, the availability of better emergency medical equipment has eased some portions of the job.

Continued training is also a higher priority as medical techniques improve and change.

"Everything changes all the time and we're always learning," said Young.

There's also been an added emphasis on recruitment and retention over the past decade as rural ambulance rosters continue to dwindle. HEART members are paid an hourly wage when they're called out, and members who are on call get $1 an hour.

"That's a huge difference from when all of us started," said Meyer. "It isn't much, but again, none of us are doing this for money. If we were we'd be doing something else."

• Support for HEART beats strong in Hartley

One thing that hasn't changed over the years is the community's support for HEART.

"We have got no complaints with how we're supported, and that's what has kept a lot of us on for so long," Sease said. "Anything we want, we get within reason. We don't ask for something we don't need."

Not only does the city support HEART with equipment purchases and other needs, community clubs and individuals routinely donate to the organization to keep it competently equipped and updated for calls.

"We are very fortunate and are very well appreciated," said Sease. "You have people come up to you in the grocery store, grab you by the arm and tell you thanks."

Young said the community's support is what's kept her on the team for nearly three decades.

"If you're wanting to do something for someone in your life, it's a great reward," she said. "I like when you really help somebody."

• 'We want to see this team carry on'

Meyer, Sease, Young and Ahrenstorff can't keep going forever. They know that, and are hoping to pass the torch on to the next generation when they're ready.

The group acknowledges that Hartley is extremely fortunate to have the ambulance roster that it does – currently, there are 14 members. Still, the time will come when veteran members turn in their pagers.

"We want to see this team carry on," Meyer said. "We don't want to see it fold. We want people to take care of us like we've taken care of everybody else."

Accordingly, recruitment and retention of new and current members has been a focal point recently. There have been some positive signs things are working – five of HEART's members are under the age of 23.

"They are excited and exuberant, and they're fast," said Sease.

Meyer said anyone that's interested in joining HEART needs to understand the commitment it takes to serve. She also noted that the team doesn't just need EMTs.

"Some people think that the only way they can help us is if they're an EMT. That's not correct. If you're a good driver, we'll take you," she said.

After all the years of late nights, missed family events and difficult calls, how much longer will HEART's pulse keep beating?

According to Meyer, they'll know when it's time to hang it up.

"As long as we're an asset to the team, we'll do it. Once we're not, we'll need to quit," she said. "I think we'll all be able to let each other know when it's time."