BACKGROUND: Mike Haaga is a paramedic, an EMS instructor and the KAA’s Chief of Service. He and his wife Marguerite, whom he met while the two attended the University of Connecticut, have lived in Killingworth since 1992.
Q: What’s the best thing about being an EMT?
HAAGA: Of course, the best part is when you actually save a life. However, in EMS the opportunity to save a life is rare, but the opportunity to impact a life is on every call.
Q: How many calls do you go on in a typical year?
HAAGA: I do 10 to 15 calls a year in Killingworth and around 300 a year as a paramedic.
Q: You and your wife, Marguerite, are EMTs. Did you do your training together?
HAAGA: No. She was an EMT when we met, but she was the main reason I became an EMT.
Q: What are the challenges of having both of you on call?
HAAGA: We try not to be on call at the same time. She is usually on call when I’m working evenings as a medic.
Q: How has being an EMT changed since you first got involved?
HAAGA: There have been many advances in emergency medicine over the past 30 years — with the most important that emergency medical services are finally being recognized as a legitimate part of the health-care team. We are more than “ambulance drivers.” We are health-care professionals.