POCATELLO — Isaac Giesbrecht and Gage Staples almost didn’t enter the state EMT competition.

The two 17-year-old Century High School seniors, both emergency medical technician students, hesitated to sign up for the SkillsUSA Idaho competition earlier this year because Giesbrecht believed a prior commitment would prevent him from attending nationals if they won.

“That’s when our chief looked at us and said, ‘Do it, worst case is you win and just can’t go,’” Giesbrecht said.

They took the advice — and won.

“We took the gold in the EMT category,” Giesbrecht said. “We took first place overall.”

Giesbrecht and Staples are training partners in the Portneuf Valley Technical Education and Career Campus EMT program. EMTs work in pairs, and the two had trained together in preparation for the state Emergency Medical Technician Competition, held in Nampa in early March.

As it turned out, Giesbrecht’s concern was unfounded. He is committed to begin basic training for the Idaho National Guard on June 8 — three days after the national competition wraps up June 1-5 in Atlanta.

During the state competition, each pair was given three scenarios and judged on how they responded. The first was a CPR scenario testing skills and knowledge. The second was a routine medical call requiring them to assess the patient and decide whether to treat on scene or transport. The third was a trauma response in which they had to identify life-threatening issues and address them in the correct order.

Both credit their training and focus during the competition for the win. Though they didn’t know the specifics of each scenario in advance, Staples said they used the time between scenarios to review protocols, clarify responsibilities and talk through what needed to be done.

“It felt great,” Staples said of winning. “Realizing we are good at the backbone parts of this career gives me the confidence that I will be able to complete my goals.”

Staples will return to Portneuf Valley Technical Education and Career Campus for his senior year to pursue firefighter training. He turns 18 in August, hopes to earn his EMT certification soon and wants to volunteer with the North Bannock Fire District in the meantime. His long-term goal is a career with one of the local fire departments.

Giesbrecht will return from basic training just as his senior year begins, but his time at Century High School will be brief — he graduates after the first term. In the short term, he hopes to work as an emergency room technician or with a fire department before reporting for Idaho National Guard individual training.

“I eventually want to become a paramedic with a fire department and possibly a flight paramedic down the road,” Giesbrecht said. “It’s something that has always appealed to me.”

For now, both are focused on the national competition.

“It’s going to be a lot more competitive,” Staples said. “We are going up against people who really put in a lot of time and effort to be the best in their state. We have been working on this for weeks.”