June 21, 2022
Maya Mehta moved to Montgomery before she started kindergarten. She grew up watching Montgomery Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) at the annual fireworks, fall football games, and wherever else they were needed.
In high school, Mehta applied to the cadet program in her sophomore year. She was granted an interview and accepted as part of the next class of cadets. She says she was overjoyed at this news, and eager to begin EMT class in the summer with the other cadets. However, due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the class was delayed several months, until the fall of her junior year, requiring the group of cadets to balance school with class while adjusting to the changes the onset of the pandemic brought to everyday life.
After passing the class, Mehta dedicated herself to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians: Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) study app, and literally says she jumped for joy when she saw that she had passed the exam and received her NJ EMT license in January 2021.
Like most members, Mehta’s involvement with MEMS has involved responding to emergencies, but many other endeavors as well. Mehta along with a few other cadets had been lucky enough to interact with both the Girl and Boy Scouts of America, teaching them about first aid and exposing them to what EMS is all about. Most recently, Mehta volunteered to teach a small group of Girl Scout Brownies about what MEMS does and what the girls should do if they ever witness an emergency.
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“I’ll never forget how inquisitive and bright they were and how big their smiles got when they got to take a ride on the stretcher,” she says. “Having the opportunity to interact with kids going through the same school system I did and teaching them not just about EMS but also real-life skills has meant a lot to me.”
Every emergency has provided Mehta with an opportunity to learn, to be patient, empathetic, and compassionate.
“Even when you can’t do anything to physically aid a patient’s pain, you learn to hold their hand and assure them you’ll take care of them, and that’s something I’ll always remember.”
For the next five years, Mehta will continue to pursue her love for medicine at Thomas Jefferson University with the end goal of becoming a physician assistant. She hopes to stay connected with her MEMS family during this transition and to eventually be able to give back all of the wisdom and support that they have given to her. ■
Montgomery Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) is an all volunteer member organization that provides 9-1-1 emergency basic life support ambulance service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to the 22,254 residents (2010 census) as well as visitors to the the township of Montgomery, and does so with absolutely no charge.
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