Joshua Permaul received a Certificate of Exemplary Student Performance from EMSA on his work during a recent Tulsa fire.
A Rogers State University freshman was recognized Tuesday for his exceptional conduct and professionalism during a recent clinical experience with a Tulsa ambulance service.
Joshua Permaul, an emergency medical services student from Owasso, received a Certificate of Exemplary Student Performance from EMSA on his work during a recent Tulsa fire.
On April 11, Permaul participated in a clinical ride with an EMSA crew. When they were called to a residential fire, Permaul assisted the crew in every way possible, according to Christopher Stevens, paramedic and senior recruitment coordinator at EMSA.
Stevens said the crew was very impressed with Permaul’s conduct and professionalism during the emergency.
“The crew was just amazed with this student’s drive to get in there and help,” Stevens said. “He didn’t back down at all.”
Clem Ohman, assistant professor and EMS program coordinator at RSU, said he’s proud of Permaul’s performance under pressure. Ohman says his students are taught to be assertive in the field during clinicals, a fact he says makes RSU’s EMS program stand out.
“A lot of people think this is a first aid class, but it’s not; it’s so much more,” Ohman said. “I think it’s wonderful that Permaul was cool, calm and collected and did what he was trained to do in the classroom.”
Permaul says he was surprised when Stevens presented him with the certificate during a class presentation. Permaul said he took the EMT class to learn more about working in emergency situations.
“I felt prepared because of the training I got from this class,” he said. “It’s very demanding, but it’s worth it in the end.”
Stevens says Permaul’s conduct is a great example of the kind of training EMS students receive at RSU. He thinks both Permaul and Ohman should be proud that Permaul was able to fall back on his training in a real emergency.
“If I were in a situation like that, I would want someone working with me who know exactly what to do and when to do it,” Stevens said. “Hats off to the instruction received at RSU. They’re producing some high-quality EMS students.”