EMS’s ‘Andy the Ambulance’ a big hit with Meade County youngsters
By KAREN KENNEDY Meade County EMS paramedics Chris and Karen Hulsey, who are also husband and wife, got the idea that more programs were needed in the local schools and daycares that would help educate Meade County children about safety and emergency services. And so the idea for “Andy the Ambulance” was born. It took a couple years for the Hulseys to put all the pieces in place, but their hard work and effort has definitely paid off. Andy the Ambulance is a miniature animated robot who helps teach safety to the kids with a bit of fun thrown in. He has many of the features of a real ambulance, such as working lights and a siren. With the use of remote controls, Andy can move, blink his eyes, spin around in circles, and “pop wheelies.” He can even squirt water. Through the remote control system, Chris Hulsey provides the voice of Andy. “The kids love Andy,” said Karen Hulsey. “He’s short and right at their level.” Andy, who was designed for use in preschool to 2nd-grade programs, made his debut appearance at last year’s Meade County Fair. Since then, he’s also been to Safety Safari, Farm Safety Day, Boy Scout meetings, and in various parades. Andy is used in presentations that teach seat belt, helmet and street crossing safety as well as how to dial 911, the importance of knowing your address and phone number and safety around strangers and animals. “When we came up with the idea to do this,” said Karen Hulsey, “we got sponsorships to help pay for the cost of the body of Andy. We initially had to borrow a motor from the fire department, and then Meade County Fiscal Court paid for Andy to have his own motor. E-Town Auto Trim Design was kind enough to take care of all the detailing of Andy for us.” Other Andy sponsors include Tony Brown Chevrolet, Meade County Fire Department, Meade County Farm Bureau, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare, Brandenburg Auto Clinic, L & L Body Shop, Barr Realty & Auction, Meade County Bank, Fort Knox Federal Credit Union, Brandenburg Family Medicine, Barr Automotive, Brandenburg Pharmacy, StoneGate Realty, Greer Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Allen Trucking, Jones/Woolfolk Insurance, RTS Liquors, Garden Path, Bob and Linda Tanguay, Cliffy and Jeanne Wise, Cherie Hardesty, Sim Richardson, and Ralph and Mary Jo Elliott The Hulseys, who do the presentations on their days off from Meade County EMS, take an out-of-service ambulance with them to the presentations so the kids can see a real ambulance. They also show them how some things are done, such as collaring a person and placing them on a board and how oxygen is administered. “We show them the equipment so if they ever do have an experience that involves these things, they won’t be so scared,” said Hulsey. Hulsey has also created a Web site for Meade County EMS – www.meadecountyems.com – which not only provides basic information about the department but has some special “kid pages.” There are coloring pages for children as well as photographs from the Andy the Ambulance presentations. After each presentation, photographs are posted on the site for the kids who were in that class to view and enjoy. Karen Hulsey and EMT Jerome Morgan have successfully done a different type of program at Stuart Pepper Middle School which is appropriate for the 7th- and 8th-grade levels. Currently in the works is a presentation appropriate for high school students, and the Hulseys and the rest of the Meade County EMS department are excited about the possibilities of such a program.
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Photo by Karen Kennedy