BACKGROUND: Lara has been an EMT with the Killingworth Ambulance Association the past 18 years,. She joined shortly after marrying in 2000 and moving to Killingworth with her husband Todd, who’s an EMR with the KAA and Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company. The two have two children, a daughter who’s a freshman at Haddam-Killingworth High School and a son in first grade.
Q: You’re raising two children. What made this job attractive to you?
HAJEK: Volunteering, firemen and EMS run in my family. So, that kind of got me into it. Plus, I’ve always wanted to do something to help the community and help the public. Killingworth is a small, unique community where everybody knows your name whether you’re at the schools, at other functions or the restaurants in town. So it’s kind of nice to see familiar faces, especially when you go to people’s houses. I think that gives them a little bit of comfort having a familiar face there to comfort them.
Q: You’ve been doing this a long time. Any memorable experiences?
HAJEK: I have a couple. My very first one, riding as a third, was a 16-year-old who hit a tree (with his vehicle). We ended up having to LIFE STAR him. LIFE STAR (which is a critical-care helicopter service) landed in Sheldon Park, and I saw the father come in, saw the father very upset and I saw the son take off in the helicopter. And I was like: “I can’t do this. This is too emotional for me.” But I was told, “You’re only human. Situations like this are going to be emotional.” Fortunately, he was OK and came through the injuries. The second was actually a gunshot in town, and I was very nervous getting there. Because you don’t know what you’re going to see. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. Those are the types of memorable things that stick with you, as well as the elderly folks who tend to grab your heart. There’s quite a bit that you remember.
Q: Would you recommend this to others?
HAJEK: I would. If you’re someone who likes to pay it forward and do things for the community … do nice things for people … it’s definitely very rewarding. Extremely rewarding. Because it’s not a day-to-day job. You do it because you want to.
Q: A leading question, but … do you consider yourself better because of it?
HAJEK: I think so because I look at things differently.
Q: You’re active with the KAA, and your husband is an EMR with the KAA and KVFC. With two children at home, can’t that create some logistical problems when the two of you get calls?
HAJEK: At one time my husband and I had to keep swapping (responding to calls) because they (the children) couldn’t stay by themselves. But now my daughter is old enough to baby sit, so we’re partners together. He drives, which is great. Because, to me, it’s showing them volunteerism and helping the community. So I feel like I’m teaching them a lesson.
Q: Did anyone convince you to do this?
HAJEK: My dad and my brother. My brother-in-law. My husband. Actually, my mother-in-law was a volunteer here for many years. They didn’t convince me, but it piqued my interest. And I’m very glad it did.