COLUMBIA — Columbia State Community College recently recognized 13 emergency medical technicians and 28 advanced emergency medical technicians upon completion of their programs during the Fall 2025 EMS Pinning ceremony in the Cherry Theater. The fall 2025 cohort achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the national registry exam.
EMS Academy Program Director Greg Johnson noted the graduates' preparation for the profession: "They've trained hard, stayed focused and shown they're ready to serve. We're proud to welcome our new EMTs and AEMTs into the EMS profession." EMTs provide basic life support at the site of illnesses and injuries, while Advanced EMTs provide basic and advanced life support during transport to the hospital. The accelerated AEMT program is designed to educate and train students in a single semester, requiring 144 hours of clinical rotations.
EMT certificate completers also have the option to pursue the General Technology Associate of Applied Science degree by combining coursework from two certificates with general education courses. For more information about the EMS program, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/EMS or contact Johnson at 931.540.2792.