COLUMBIA — Emergency medical services students from Columbia State Community College turned in a dominant performance at the fourth annual Battle of the Smokies competition held March 4 in Sevierville, Tennessee, earning top honors in both student divisions against more than 25 teams from community colleges, county EMS agencies, and mine rescue crews across the state.
In the Student Advanced Life Support division, Columbia State's paramedic team claimed first place, with a second Columbia State team placing fourth. Roane State Community College took second and third. In the Student Basic Life Support division, Columbia State's advanced EMT teams went one-two, with Roane State finishing third. The competition centered on a simulated scenario involving multiple patients injured when a side-by-side utility vehicle struck a telephone pole — a realistic mass-casualty setting complete with smoke and environmental hazards designed to test both clinical skill and situational awareness. Teams were scored on the speed and accuracy of patient assessment, the quality of medical interventions, and how quickly patients were prepared for transport.
Gregory S. Johnson, Columbia State's EMS program director and assistant professor, said the results reflected the students' dedication to clinical excellence and their ability to think critically under pressure. Students competing also earned eight hours of continuing education credits through the event and the accompanying conference. Named in the photographs released by Columbia State were paramedic students Dayla Stephens of Unionville, Levi Dixon of College Grove, and Hannah Nolan of Columbia, along with advanced EMT students Avery Fitzgerald of Spring Hill, Caroline Luna of Lyles, Jason Bruns of Hohenwald, Jeremy Farmer of Columbia, and Kate Duncan Warner of Franklin.
The Battle of the Smokies is organized by the Tennessee Association of EMS Providers and the Tennessee Mine Rescue Association. For Columbia State, located on Hampshire Pike just outside downtown Columbia, the wins add another chapter to a health sciences program that has consistently produced the kind of skilled first responders Maury County and surrounding communities depend on. More information on the program is available at columbiastate.edu.