Mike Reed first came to Walters State right out of high school. Even at that young age, he had years of volunteer firefighting behind him and knew he wanted a career in emergency medical services.

“As a volunteer fireman, we learned the basics of emergency medicine, things like CPR and basic first aid. That was very interesting to me, so I decided to become an emergency medical technician,” the Greeneville native recalls.

Walters State was only 20 miles from his house and he had met several faculty members during his volunteer training. The college was the natural choice for his EMT classes. After working in the field for a few years, he decided to come back and complete the year-long paramedic program.

“As an EMT, your career is somewhat limited. As a paramedic, you make more money and you have more chances for advancement,” Reed explained.

“And the faculty at Walters State encouraged me. They have a lot of experience, not just book knowledge. They are able to teach the book knowledge and give examples from their experiences.”

In emergency medicine, Reed has some exciting days. As a paramedic, he’s now able to do more to help people when responding to a car accident or a medical emergency in a home.

“I enjoy being able to help people. Sometimes, families calm down just because someone trained arrives on the scene. But we do have a lot of down time. Some days, we just take people to doctor’s appointments.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie between EMTs and paramedics. You work long shifts together and you have to work as a team. I’ve made friendships that will last for life.”  

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