Anderson County EMS and UT Lifestar are having their annual EMS Week luncheon on Tuesday, May 20. The event is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and it is open to the public.
“We will be honoring our crews and also giving out our EMT-IV, paramedic, and officer of the year awards,” a press release said. “We have received certificates of appreciation from Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam for some crew members involved on a call earlier this year. Plus, we will be announcing our first-ever recipient of the Next Steps Scholarship.”
The luncheon will be at the EMS main garage complex at 314 Public Safety Lane in Clinton. Call Anderson County EMS at (865) 457-8609 for more information. Lunch will be provided for attendees. The event is meant to thank Anderson County emergency providers for the work they do each day, a flyer said.
An earlier press release announcing the Next Steps Scholarship program is attached below.
“This is a brand new scholarship being offered to a recent graduate from a local high school,” said Nathan Sweet, Anderson County EMS director. “We are unaware of anything like it in our industry!”
Here is the Next Steps press release:
Anderson County EMS/Anderson County Schools partnership
Next Steps is a new program that takes recent high school graduates who have completed a focus of study in health science and gives them immediate experience in a career in emergency medical services (EMS). This program will give them a path for success in a post-secondary setting with valuable hands-on experience. The program will be provided by the Anderson County EMS and will support the graduates from an entry-level position with Anderson County EMS to a licensed paramedic in three years. During those three years, the individuals will be full time employees, with full-time hours, benefits, and advancement opportunities.
The individuals selected for this program will spend their first year learning about the Anderson County EMS system, while working in the support services department. During this first year, Anderson County EMS will invest time to train and prepare the individuals for emergency medical technician (EMT) school. After the successful completion of the first year of employment, they will be sent to EMT school at the expense of Anderson County EMS. While in school, the individuals will maintain their paid position. At the completion of EMT school, the individuals will take the exam offered by the State of Tennessee to become a certified EMT. Once licensure is complete, they will be placed on a day truck ambulance for two years for on-the-job training. During this time, the individuals will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in patient care.
This program is one of the first in this field to allow a student straight out of high school to be employed full time and at the same time be provided training at no cost to the employee. Most EMS systems wait for a person to attain basic credentials on his or her own and then hire the individual and train them to work in their system. Anderson County EMS has not been much of an exception to this pattern, but this new initiative is a way to change that. Anderson County EMS officials are working with local schools to find the best students to be hired after graduation and to integrate them into a successful career with the EMS system. The graduates have the awesome opportunity to become a licensed paramedic on an Advanced Life Support ambulance.
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