$400k Grant for Emergency Medical Services Programs of Blue Ridge Community College

Featured photo: Blue Ridge Community College students participate in a lifting and moving exercise, utilizing teamwork, communication and proper lifting techniques. (Photo by Benjamin Rickert.)

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To bolster its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programs, Blue Ridge Community College has been selected to receive a $400,000 grant from the North Carolina Community College System. For decades, the College has served the public safety community in Western North Carolina, training the first responders of many agencies in the emergency medical, fire and rescue, and law enforcement fields.

The grant will purchase two advanced simulation manikins with augmented reality technology, trauma simulation equipment, and two power stretchers. These items provide more realistic training for Blue Ridge students, preparing them to use the same equipment available in the field.

“As a prehospital care leader in the region, Henderson County EMS relies on highly trained team members who are ready to make a difference in our community,” explained Jimmy Brissie, Henderson County’s Emergency Services Director. “We are fortunate to have a tremendous working relationship with Blue Ridge Community College, not only as a training location but also as a crucial pipeline for recruiting new staff. We are excited for the EMS Program at Blue Ridge Community College to receive this much-needed grant. We look forward to working together to enhance opportunities for training for our existing staff and future generations of Paramedics.”

Blue Ridge Community College offers EMS courses on all three of its campuses, as well as online. Several concentrations are offered, including Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced EMT and Paramedic.

“We are excited to incorporate this highly sophisticated equipment into our programming in order to provide the best training possible for current and future Henderson County Paramedics,” explained Dr. Scott Queen, Blue Ridge’s vice president for economic and workforce development. “Our collective goal with Henderson County EMS is to stay as far ahead of the training curve as possible. We want to be the premier education providers and partners in Western North Carolina.”

Learn more about Public Safety Training at Blue Ridge Community College at www.blueridge.edu/public-safety.

Special thanks to EMS Program Director Daniel Wesley for providing details for this story.