Pictured front row seated L-R, Senior Paramedics Kelly Tornow, Stacie Liles, and Devoria Johnson. Second Row L-R Lt. Brian Gay, Director Ken Wilkerson, Senior Paramedics Doug Evans, Wayne Smith, Ben Parker, Chris Blackwell, Alberto Gutierrez, Deputy Chief John Combes, and Lt. Brandy Rogers. Third Row L-R, Lt. Mark Puglise Assistant Chief John Miller, Lt. Chris Dill, Captain Tony Sylvester, Captain Billy Burnette, Assistant Chief Dale Head, Assistant Chief Wade Batson, Captain Brian Bricker, Captain Eric Ethridge, Captain David Burdett. Not pictured, Senior Paramedic James Smith
HCEMS Director Ken Wilkerson announced the promotion of nine HCEMS Paramedics to the newly-created positions of Senior Paramedic. This new assignment will carry the rank of Sergeant within the overall scope of the command structure.
In the new positions, senior paramedics will be functioning as field training officers and will be working with new employees to provide orientation training, oversight preceptorship and field training, as well as field and clinical training for student EMTs and paramedics from the area community colleges. In addition, the senior paramedics will provide remediation or additional training for current employees in all areas as required in the field and on the job.
Director Wilkerson said, “This allows us to expand our scope of training where the people providing the training are actually on the job in the field and can consistently work with medics while on site developing skills that go beyond classroom training.”
While the positions are not supervisory positions, at emergency scenes senior paramedics will provide insight and accountability for students in their scope of training and will serve as senior representatives of HCEMS until they are relieved by a supervisor.
“As our service grows the mission grows and the needs in our community grow. With additional responsibilities that have been presented to our department by our medical director, we realize it is necessary to provide constant training on-site and in the field to continue to serve our community effectively, professionally and efficiently,” said Director Wilkerson.
“This is a continuation of what we have tried to do the entire history of the service, to build a true career Service, a service where an individual can come to work at HCEMS as a brand new Advanced EMT and retire 30 years later as a chief officer of the service. We are looking in the near future of offering additional responsibilities and opportunities,” said Director Wilkerson.
According to Director Wilkerson the new positions and promotions from within HCEMS required four years of field experience as a paramedic and three years of service with HCEMS. All nine senior paramedics will be trained, evaluated and certified in advanced paramedic skills that are not available in the daily paramedic duties. “In addition,” said the director, “they will be trained in expanded versions of training and evaluating employees to enhance our service and the capabilities of our department.”
HCEMS is the 9-1-1 provider for Hamilton County and operates with 120 Advanced EMT’s and Paramedics with 14 ambulances strategically placed throughout Hamilton County. This year, 2018, marks the 30th Anniversary of operations of HCEMS. In 2017 HCEMS responded to over 38,000 requests for emergency care.
For more information about Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services go to hamiltontnems.org