News

Quadriplegic South Dakota EMT Still Involved in EMS

Jeff Bahr

11/07/2011

Nov. 07--Doni Rolfson enjoys working with Hartford Fire and Rescue so much that she's stuck with it, even after becoming a quadriplegic.

Rolfson was seriously injured in a four-wheeler accident in 2009, when she was 50 years old. She suffered severe spinal cord injuries in the accident. "They didn't expect me to live," she says.

Now confined to a wheelchair, she still works with the Hartford group, of which she's been a member for 26 years.

Rolfson spoke at the annual conference of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Technicians Association, which ran Friday through Sunday in Aberdeen.

People who work in emergency medical services have two families -- their own and their fellow EMS workers, she said.

After Rolfson's accident, her colleagues at Hartford Fire and Rescue made sure her family was fed and helped remodel her house to make it handicapped-accessible.

During her speech Sunday, Rolfson talked about how much emergency workers rely on their EMS family for support and care.

In the past, Rolfson has worked as a first assistant rescue chief and fire prevention officer for Hartford Fire and Rescue.

She now attends meetings and helps the group with education. "I don't attend calls yet. That's one of my goals," she said.

Rolfson also told her audience Sunday that even after a life-changing event, "You can make the best of a situation and still be a part of things."

Confined to a wheelchair, you can either feel sorry or yourself and have a miserable life or conclude that "This is the card I have, and I'm going to play it."

Lois Pletten, the chairwoman of the conference, echoed Rolfson's belief that emergency medical employees are a family. After responding to a difficult call, they often communicate with EMS people from other towns to talk about the experience.

More than 90 percent of the EMS workers in South Dakota are volunteers, Pletten said. If you're involved in an accident on Interstate 90, for example, chances are good that the people who assist you will be volunteers, she said.

They do the work because it's something they believe in, she said.

The SDEMTA Conference was held at the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center and the Ramkota Hotel. It was attended by about 480 emergency medical technicians, first responders and paramedics.

Many classes were held during the weekend. Emergency medical personnel need a minimum of 72 hours of classes every two years to get their national recertification. "They're going out and doing this on their own in order to assist their community," said Pletten, who lives in Bath.

The president of the SDEMTA is Kurt Klunder, a firefighter-paramedic for the Rapid City Fire Department. Klunder said the group members enjoyed meeting in the ARCC facility, which they found historical, homey and comfortable. They also appreciated the space available in the old high school.