NEWS

Hinsdale senior ‘comes to the rescue’

Kristen Inbody
kinbody@greatfallstribune.com
Delaney Beil, Academic All Star and senior at Hinsdale High School, gets behind the wheel of an ambulance. When she graduates this spring, she will be a fully certified EMT.

HINSDALE – In their worst moments, Hi-Line travelers and locals in crisis can count on high school senior Delaney Beil.

Delaney plans to pursue a medical career and attend Montana State-Northern in Havre. The daughter of Keith and Myla Beil, she’s one of 10 2016 Great Falls Tribune Academic All Stars, recognizing seniors from northcentral Montana for classroom and community excellence. Delaney took the Hinsdale High’s EMT course as a junior and then spent more than 200 hours training. She performed CPR during a fatal incident at school and has responded to ambulance calls for pregnancy troubles, strokes and diabetic emergencies. She tests blood pressure monthly at the senior citizens’ gathering.

The jump was large going from learning about how to be an EMT to actually doing the work, she said, “but I’ve learned how thankful we are for life. The human body is amazing.”

Delaney Beil of Hinsdale will be EMT certified at graduation. Growing up driving pickups towing horse trailers helped her make the transition to driving an ambulance.

Hinsdale has eight EMTs, seven of whom are women, and three drivers. Delaney’s dad has helped with lift assists. Her’s is a supportive, involved family.

“I have great mentors. We trained and trained,” Delaney said. “Going to Wolf Point, where they have frequent runs got my confidence up.”

“It was hard to give up my social life being gone every weekend, and basketball was a big part of that, but it’s going to put me further into the adult world and growing up,” she said.She gave up playing basketball so she could devote time to training with the EMTs. Delaney is a CNA and works at Valley View Home in Glasgsow, too.

A farm girl, she’s known as a hard worker and independent thinker, a problem solver and a leader in organizing fundraisers and projects for younger students.Delaney learned to be aware of her surroundings in a new way for safety’s sake. People often react oddly in emergencies.

Dorothy Jensen, EMT instructor, said she’s taught three classes of high schoolers and has four from the program nationally and state certified. Delaney has passed her boards and will be a certified EMT at graduation.

In her one year as a student EMT Delaney Beil has dealt with a stroke, a heart attack, a baby that was nearly delivered in the ambulance, seizures and diabetes-related illnesses. She says “it's a big jump, but I’ve learned a lot about being grateful for life.”

“High schoolers are awesome to teach. They’re like sponges, but Delaney went above and beyond,” she said.

“I don’t know what we’ll do without her next year. I definitely trust her with my life,” Jensen said. “I would love to see Delaney coming to my rescue.”