Oak Ridge Today

Austin Knight Foundation donates $5,000 to Roane State’s EMS program

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Pictured above from left to right are David Blevins, Roane State EMS Program Director; Ginny Cole Davis, WATE-TV’s Living East Tennessee (and a Roane State alum); Amanda and B.J. Hillard with son Finn; and Scott Niermann, Roane State Foundation Executive Director. (Submitted photo)

A foundation established by the parents of a former Roane State Community College student recently donated $5,000 in support of the community college’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program.

William “B.J.” Hillard and Amanda Hillard said they are honoring the memory of their son, Austin Logan Knight, through the Austin Knight Foundation. Austin was killed in a car crash in 2018, just a month after enrolling in Roane State’s EMT program.

Over the last five years, Austin’s parents have worked to incorporate their late son’s passions with their efforts in the community on behalf of the foundation, a press release said. As Roane State’s EMS program director David Blevins explained, this also provides them an opportunity to tell Austin’s story.

“Austin wanted to become an EMT to help others,” Blevins said. “He was committed to his goal of learning to save lives and understood what makes the profession so special, even at such a young age. Seeing his family find new ways to help others in his memory is truly inspiring.”

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Roane State paramedic alumni earn honors

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Anderson County EMS Director Nathan Sweet, right, presents Lt. Steve Seals, a graduate of Roane State's paramedic program, with an award naming him the EMS's "Officer of the Year." Sweet is also a Roane State paramedic program graduate. (Photo by Roane State)

Anderson County EMS Director Nathan Sweet, right, presents Lt. Steve Seals, a graduate of Roane State’s paramedic program, with an award naming him the EMS’s “Officer of the Year.” Sweet is also a Roane State paramedic program graduate. (Photo by Roane State)

 

Graduates of Roane State Community College’s paramedic program continue to distinguish themselves in their professions by earning honors bestowed by peers and supervisors, a press release said.

Two 2005 graduates of the paramedic program were recognized by Anderson County EMS during National EMS Week, held in late May each year.

Lieutenant Steve Seals was named “Officer of the Year,” while Millie Huddleston was recognized as “Paramedic of the Year.”

Co-workers and supervisors nominated them for the recognitions. In those nominations, Seals was described as exemplifying “our core values, including integrity first, service before self, as well as excellence in all we do,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State adjunct instructor honored for saving infant last year

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Roane State adjunct professor Jason Fox, right, is pictured with Capt. Joseph Cate, also with the Morristown-Hamblen EMS, as they receive the statewide “Star of Life” award for reviving an infant. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State adjunct professor Jason Fox, right, is pictured with Capt. Joseph Cate, also with the Morristown-Hamblen EMS, as they receive the statewide “Star of Life” award for reviving an infant. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

A Roane State Community College adjunct instructor at the college’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences put his extensive training to use to save the life of a just born, premature infant who had stopped breathing and had no pulse.

For his actions, which he said were a “combination of training, instinct and a miracle,” Jason Fox received a statewide award titled the “Star of Life.”

Fox, who has been with Roane State for a year, is also a lieutenant with the Morristown-Hamblen EMS. He is credited, along with Morristown-Hamblen County EMS’ Captain Joseph Cate, for reviving the infant—who was three months premature when he was born at home.

“We asked what the baby’s name was and told her (mother Kellie Henrikson) that we would do everything in our power to save his life,” Fox said. The EMS professionals used cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive Tanner Enix after the infant hadn’t been breathing for 11 minutes. [Read more…]

Roane State EMS faculty use virtual reality to enhance instruction

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Wearing the high-tech HoloLens, Roane State director of EMS programs David Blevins manipulates a hologram as part of a cutting-edge program that's being used as a new way of teaching students studying anatomy and physiology. (Photo by Roane State)

Wearing the high-tech HoloLens, Roane State director of EMS programs David Blevins manipulates a hologram as part of a cutting-edge program that’s being used as a new way of teaching students studying anatomy and physiology. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

KNOXVILLE—Picture this: a high-resolution cross-section of a beating human heart floating in space, allowing for an up-close, interactive examination.

Imagine each student in an anatomy and physiology classroom having access to three-dimensional, 360-degree images, or aspiring first-responders being able to view a completely realistic video of an accident scene.

Welcome to the world of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality as they are now being introduced into the Roane State Community College curriculum for emergency medical services. Instructors at the college’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences are participating in a pilot study with the assistance from the college’s Center for Teaching Arts and Technology. [Read more…]

Roane State faculty honored by Tennessee EMS Education Association

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Tennessee EMS Education Association president Tim Lankford presents the Full-Time Excellence in Teaching Award to Roane State EMT/paramedic instructor Roger Badger, center. David Blevins, Roane State Director of EMS Education, also congratulates Badger. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

Tennessee EMS Education Association president Tim Lankford presents the Full-Time Excellence in Teaching Award to Roane State EMT/paramedic instructor Roger Badger, center. David Blevins, Roane State Director of EMS Education, also congratulates Badger. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

 

Two veteran Roane State Community College faculty members were recently honored for their longtime service to the emergency medical services education community, said David Blevins, Roane State Director of EMS Education.

Kirk Harris, director of Continuing Healthcare and Safety Education, won the prestigious Lige Turman Lifetime Achievement Award, while Roger Badger, an EMT/paramedic instructor, received the Full-Time Excellence in Teaching Award from the Tennessee EMS Education Association.

“Both are the highest honors,” Blevins said. The awards were bestowed during the association’s annual membership meeting, held recently in Murfreesboro.

To be eligible for the Lige Turman Award, a nominee must have at least 20 years in EMS education and a proven history of achievement in that field. “Mr. Harris has dedicated his career to engaging the next generation of medical providers, and his history of new techniques is well known,” Blevins said. [Read more…]

Guest column: Anderson communications center very busy during Tuesday storm

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Anderson County Commission and Mark Lucas

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas is pictured above at right during a special County Commission meeting in November. Also pictured are Anderson County Commissioners Rick Meredith, center, and Jerry White.

To All:

(Tuesday) evening was very, very busy. From 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., our communications center received 589 telephone calls, of which 143 were on 911. The overwhelming number of calls were between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., when 365 calls came to our dispatch center. Of these 365 calls, 109 were on 911.

Comparing to last Tuesday from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., we received 156 total telephone calls, of which 20 were on 911. The two-hour period from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. last week was only 41 total calls, of which five were on 911.

For the entire shift from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., that was a 288 percent increase. For the two hours from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., the increase was 790 percent.

We had four communications officers working (Tuesday) when the storm hit. A fifth came into work on her own to help out. Many of these 911 and non-emergency calls required dispatching of emergency personnel from law enforcement, fire, or EMS. Others required notifications to the state and county highway departments and the utility companies. It was non-stop for hours. [Read more…]

Anderson EMS honors paramedic, EMT, officer of the year; gives first ‘Director’s Award’

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Anderson County Emergency Medical Service, or EMS, honored some of its own Wednesday afternoon with a luncheon and awards ceremony.

Whitney Ellis was recognized as Paramedic of the Year. EMS Director Nathan Sweet said Ellis has great compassion for her job “and her commitment to patient care exceeds all others. [Read more…]

Roane State student recognized for helping during medical emergency

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Roane State Student Recognized

Anderson County EMS director Nathan Sweet, left, recognizes Roane State student Amber Kennedy at the Anderson County Commission’s Feb. 19 meeting. (Submitted photo)

Anderson County Emergency Medical Services recently recognized a Roane State Community College student who provided assistance during a medical emergency.

EMS director Nathan Sweet honored Amber Kennedy of Sunbright during the Anderson County Commission’s Feb. 19 meeting. Kennedy is a waitress at Ruby Tuesday in Oak Ridge.

Last December, a customer collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. Kennedy—who had taken a safety, first aid, and CPR course at Roane State’s Morgan County campus—stepped forward and administered CPR.

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