Developing responsible youth action

The Youth Social Inventions Award 1993 of the Institute for Social Inventions went to the secondary school pupils in Darien, Connecticut, USA, who run "Boy Scout Explorer Post 53", with three 24 hour ambulances for the 20,000 population. The squad has about 30 boys and 30 girls, who start in the radio room from age 14 and at age 15 are promoted to riders on the ambulance. They put in 150 hours of training to become Emergency Medical Technicians, and can drive ambulances, apply splints, handle severe wound and burns etc. The service deals with about 1,000 calls a year, referred to it by the local police department.