BACKGROUND: Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz was born in Canada and came to Killingworth when her parents (who emigrated to Canada as newlyweds in the late 1950s) moved to Killingworth in 1962. She graduated from Wesleyan University and joined the Peace Corps, teaching English in Niger, West Africa, but she returned to the United States to work as a Youth Services Director in Indiana, where she met her husband, James. When that position was eliminated, she returned east to attend nursing school and acquire what she called “marketable skills.” After working 10 years at Yale as a pediatric nurse, she gained her master’s degree at the Yale School of Nursing and became a nurse practitioner for the next 20 years — 10 of them in the Emergency Department at the Connecticut Children’s Hospital in Hartford. Mary and James are members of the KAA board of directors, as well as EMTs who were among the top responders the past three years.
Q: Was it your background in nursing that led you to become an EMT?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: It wasn’t really my background in nursing that provoked my interest in becoming an EMT, although I certainly thought the experience would help in the course training. What really pushed me to become and EMT were my parents, especially my Mom. My parents were actually founding members of the KAA in the early 1970s. Both were techs and served on the board for many years — my Mom longer than my Dad. Ask Mark (Clifton), Don (McDougall) or any “old-timer” in town, and they will tell you about my Mom being the consummate volunteer. I learned volunteer service from my parents, so it really wasn’t a question of “if” I would become an EMT with the KAA but “when.”
Q: What convinced you to take the leap?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: I thought about it for many years, feeling that it was just something that I had to do — especially after my Mom died in 2013. I really blame Mark (Clifton) for yanking on that final heartstring that pushed me over the edge to join the board. Then I decided I could/would take the EMT leap after I cut back my work hours to part-time, allowing me to devote more time to taking the course and, ultimately, covering shifts.
Q: What was the hardest part of the testing process?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: The hardest part of the test-taking for me was the timed practical skill stations. Having to memorize all the steps in each skill station and then perform them within a specified time frame made me pretty anxious. I’m a perfectionist at heart, and not being able to take my time to get it “just right” made me a little bit crazy.
Q: What was your reaction when you heard you passed?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: I was so ecstatic and relieved to find out I had passed because of all the time studying and practicing. My fellow classmates and I had put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and the fact that you need to pass both the practical skills and the computer cognitive tests on two separate dates was extra stressful.
Q: You and your husband are members of the KAA’s board of directors. Any chance he joins you as an EMT?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: I’m not sure about James joining me as a full-fledged EMT, but I think he might be persuaded to help out as a responder if he can find a nearby Emergency Responder course.
Q: What advice would you give anyone thinking of becoming an EMT?
ROBBENHAAR-FRETZ: Put time in from the beginning of the course, don’t be afraid to ask for help and practice, practice, practice.