Hittesdorf puts 35 years into ambulance service
Trending
SLEEPY EYE -- After more than 35 years on the job, Sleepy Eye Ambulance Director Shari Hittesdorf will retire from the organization Jan. 5, 2027.
Her interest in paramedical rescue services goes back to her childhood when the action-adventure medical drama television series "Emergency!" began in January 1972.
"I remember watching the TV show 'Emergency' with Roy (DeSoto) and John (Gage) as a kid. It ran for a few years (until 1979)," she said. "It was about a Los Angeles fire department that began a paramedic program. That was right about the start of EMS (emergency medical services). That program really pushed para medicine along, being able to treat people in the field. I thought it would be cool to do so I joined the Sleepy Eye Ambulance crew when the opportunity was there."
Hittesdorf said her uncle and grandfather died from sudden cardiac arrest.
A public health major at Southwest State University in Marshall, she took the class despite being pregnant with her middle son Tucker at the time.
She became an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) in 1991. A year later, Sleepy Eye Ambulance Coordinator and Police Chief Bill Klein retired.
"The position seemed like a good fit for me when it opened," said Hittesdorf. "EMTs didn't do a whole lot back then compared to now. There's been lots of changes. We can give patients medicine now. We have AEDs (automated external defibrillators), LUCAS (chest compression) devices. We can do a lot more on scene to improve patient outcome."
She said being an EMT can get in a person's blood.
"Helping save a person's life is a pretty amazing feeling," said Hittesdorf. "We're called when somebody is in a tough situation of being sick or hurt. I look at it as us making things as good as they can possibly be."
She said training is a big part of modern-day emergency medical services.
"I've been fortunate in that my staff has bought into training hard," said Hittesdorf. "They take the critique we do and accept the challenge of improving. There are critical skills to learn that you may only use once in your entire career. You won't keep the skill set unless you train."
She said Sleepy Eye Ambulance Service has 13 EMTs now.
More than 100 ambulance service EMTs have been trained by Hittesdorf.
"This job isn't for everybody. There is definitely a time commitment," she said. "There is a sacrifice of family and free time. The training and job is a challenge but we have some long-time staff members. Gary Lambrecht has been with us for 40 years. Gloria Nachreiner has more than 30 years."
Anyone interested in working part-time for the ambulance service is encouraged to contact Hittesdorf at 507-441-5201 or email ambulance@sleepyeyemn.org. Training of 160 hours through South Central College in North Mankato is provided free of charge by the City of Sleepy Eye if participants commit to a minimum number of monthly shifts.
She talked about how the general public may think of the ambulance service, particularly if they've never utilized it.
"No one expects to need an ambulance when they wake up in the morning but we're there when they need us," she said.
Hittesdorf won't be sitting around much beginning next year. She'll continue to be busy with the Sleepy Eye Holiday Lights in Motion show from Thanksgiving Night through New Year's Night at Sportsman's Park, operating Sleepy Eye Online, a free local news website, plus doing lots of digital photography