Grads from Rock Springs, Green River all pass their certification exams

ROCK SPRINGS – Western Wyoming Community College graduated its first class of five Emergency Medical Technicians (Basic) in more than 20 years on Tuesday, June 18 in a ceremony at the Rock Springs campus. All five students have passed their state certification exams and are ready to begin new careers as EMTs.

EMT Basic graduates included: Crystal Camacho, Danielle Kendall, Matthew Gardner, and Angela Locke, all of Rock Springs; and Eric Chase Cochrun, of Green River. Locke received a special award for perfect attendance in the class; Gardner received a special award for the highest combined average score in the class.

Carole Shafer, director of Workforce and Community Development at WWCC, said that Western had graduated its last EMT class in 1992, after which the program sunset due to the existence of other training opportunities in the area. But local industry representatives had approached Western more recently about establishing a new program, she said.

“Western was approached by the industry, by the fire departments, by the paramedics, and by some other programs within the city and the county, about putting together a program and helping provide support for the mines, the fire department and the local ambulance service,” she said. “We were sure we had the support of the industry, so we moved forward.”

The State of Wyoming approved Western’s new program in September 2012. Western’s curriculum committee approved the program as a credit course in December 2012. The first class began in January 2013.

EMT Coordinator Jordan Plant, who is retired from the Rock Springs Fire Department, said the class originally had eight students. Three withdrew, which was slightly less than the withdrawal average of 40 percent that is common for EMT courses, he said. But the five students who completed the course all passed their state certification exam.

“We have ‘casualties,’ and hopefully they’ll be able to work things out (and come back),” Plant said. “It’s a very, very intensive course. I know that you all put in countless hours of studying, and I did offer my shin a couple of times as you walked out the door, to kick me after some of the exams that I delivered, but I didn’t get any kicks.”

Plant said his plan was to make his exams difficult enough that the state certification exam would seem easy by comparison. But he cautioned the graduates to remember that class preparation and live field work are often quite different.

“All the preparation that we just did, it did not prepare you in any shape or form for what you are about to go experience in life,” he said. “Emergency Services is a very special thing to do for your community. I have great confidence that these EMTs will display courage and competency in any situation that they come up against. I would be happy to work a scene with them.”

Shafer recalled that, during the spring semester, she had been involved in a car accident that required an EMT response. The incident, she said, reinforced for her the importance of the work to which these EMT graduates have committed themselves.

“What you do every day is important. There are real people on the other end of that phone call,” she said.

Western Wyoming Community College would like to thank the following faculty for their contributions to the EMT education program: EMT Coordinator Jordan Plant; Andy Appleby; Scott Braithwaite; Dominic Erramouspe; Kelly Kennedy; Steve Kourbelas; Steve Myers; and Jon Said. Thanks also to guest lecturers Matt Strauss, Keith Finch, Dee Foest, Dillon Cox, and Beth Strom.

Western Wyoming Community College appreciates the contributions of the following companies to the EMT education program: Red Desert Institute; Sweetwater Medics Owners; Sweetwater Medics Crews; Guardian Flight; Pacific Steel; Rock Springs Fire Department; and Castle Rock Ambulance. Their support has made this program possible.