By Wendy Sledd
Special to the Leader-Press
Four Copperas Cove residents are among 19 graduates of the Central Texas College paramedic program and are now prepared to provide advanced emergency medical care throughout Central Texas. The graduates were recognized during the college’s Paramedic Program Course Completion Ceremony on Wednesday.
The new paramedics include Tanner Frick who serves in the Copperas Cove Fire Department, Paulina Palafox who serves with American Medical Response in Temple , Eric Garcia who is assigned to Fort Hood, and Don Woods who serves in the Killeen Fire Department. Many graduates in the program are already serving their communities as EMTs, firefighters, or active duty Soldiers stationed at Fort Hood.
Julie Jordan, lead instructor in the program, said the certification expands career opportunities for students who are already working in emergency services.
“Most of our students are employees of local fire departments, so they are current EMTs and some are firefighters as well. Now they’ll be eligible to be basic paramedics or firefighter paramedics within the community,” Jordan said.
While undergoing the rigorous training, Palafox, the only female student in the cohort, was also a class officer.
“I actually earned my EMT certification through CTC and decided I liked the program so much I wanted to come back for my paramedic (certification),” Palafox said. “My instructors, the adjunct faculty, and even the administrative staff have been extremely supportive of my goals. They’ve always been willing to help me out wherever I need it.”
“Working with the team I have, working with my classmates, they’ve definitely pushed me to be better and they’ve pushed me to get this far. So, I’m very excited to be here and I’m very excited to have them walk the stage with me,” she said.
Garcia said he enrolled after receiving the opportunity through the Army.
“The CTC instructors were open and transparent about what to expect in our EMS clinicals, providing advice on how to adjust. They were also very knowledgeable when asked questions about lab scenarios and the curriculum,” he said.
One of Garcia’s most memorable experiences came when he helped achieve a return of spontaneous circulation during a cardiac arrest clinical.
“Being on this path has definitely renewed my love for medicine,” he said.
For Woods, the motivation was simple.
“I want to help people,” Woods said. “Becoming a paramedic has opened up a wide array of employment opportunities.”
For more information on CTC’s emergency services programs, visit www.ctcd.edu and search “Paramedic.”
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