By Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier reporters | Mrs. Bergen’s third grade Healthy Courier cub reporters at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School interviewed Mr. Robert Bergen, an emergency medical technician (EMT) and an instructor with American Medical Response.

“Healthy habits can help you live a long, happy life,” said Mr. Bergen, who is Mrs. Bergen’s husband.

Below are Mr. Bergen’s answers to our questions. The interview has been lightly edited.

Q: Can you describe your job?
Mr. Bergen: When you call 911, an EMT comes in an ambulance to check you out and will take you to the hospital if you are sick or injured.

Q: What do you do when you don’t have a patient?
Mr. Bergen: When I don’t have a patient, I am restocking the truck or I am teaching a class.

Q: What do you want children to know about the heart and heart health?
Mr. Bergen: Good heart health starts at a young age. The younger you are

when you start taking care of your heart, the healthier you heart will be as you grow up.

Q: Why is this topic important to know about?
Mr. Bergen: Heart health is essential to good health.

Q: What is the heart’s job?
Mr. Bergen: The job of the heart is to pump blood all the way around the body; it delivers oxygen and nutrients.

Q: What is blood?
Mr. Bergen: Blood is a liquid that is made of many different things that all work together to keep us healthy.

Q: What is the job of blood?
Mr. Bergen: Blood feeds all of our cells. It also takes waste away from the same cells and organs. Blood is also what is needed to fight off infection.

Q: What are blood vessels?
Mr. Bergen: We know them as veins, arteries, and capillaries. They are tubes that carry the blood.

Q: What are three things we can do to keep our hearts healthy?
Mr. Bergen: You should eat healthy foods, exercise, drink plenty of water and see a doctor regularly. Also avoid junk foods, smoking, drugs, and alcohol.

Q: How often do you exercise?
Mr. Bergen: I exercise daily.

Q: What kind of exercise do you like to do?
Mr. Bergen: My favorite exercise is walking and hiking with our dogs.

Q: How do you feel when you do not get regular exercise?
Mr. Bergen: I feel tired and crabby.

Q: How do you know a patient has something wrong with their heart?
Mr. Bergen: Usually a patient will complain of pain in their chest, or I will notice their pulse is too low or even too high.