On June 8, nine young people became the first graduates of the Hanover County Fire/EMS Paramedic Program.
Graduating were Timothy Grabham, Kevin Herrity, Robert Insley III, Michael Konvicka, Collin Landrum, Holly Landrum, Jacob Miffleton, Tyler “Jack” Page and Thomas Whitaker, who was the Class Leader. Herrity was recognized as the class Valedictorian and Insley as the Honor Graduate.
These young people completed nine months of training, including over 1000 hours of training in a classroom setting and over 500 hours of training in a clinic setting. Lucian Mirra was the training supervisor.
Mirra said that of the approximately 37,000 Emergency Medical Technicians in Virginia, only about 7000 are paramedics. Paramedics complete a much more extensive training program and national certification exams to achieve the highest certification level of pre-hospital care provider in the United States.
Miffleton has been assigned to Station 2 (Beaverdam); Colin Landrum, Grabham and Whitaker to Station 3 (Eastern Hanover); Konvicka and Holly Landrum to Station 4 (Doswell); and Herrity, Insley and Page to Station 6 (Henry).
Hanover becomes the fifth county in Virginia to have a self-accredited Paramedic Program and is now nationally accredited.
The graduates were thanked and congratulated by Jethro H. Piland, Chief of Fire/EMS; and Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Chair of the Board of Supervisors.
Piland told them always to keep in mind that when they respond to a call, they will be remembered not only for their technical skills but for how compassionate and kind they were in that moment of stress for loved ones and if they engaged with that family and reduced their level of anxiety.
Kelly-Wiecek related that three residents of her neighborhood had been saved by Hanover Fire/EMS and reminded them that they had a “special responsibility” always to be representatives of Hanover County.
The graduation ceremony was held in the historic Hanover Courthouse.
Original source can be found here.
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