Charleston County is proud to announce that Emergency Medical Service (EMS) paramedics Amanda Reeves and Becky Smyth, of Summerville, placed first in the Lowcountry Regional Emergency Medical Services Competition, which was held on Feb. 6 at the Lowcountry Regional EMS Office in North Charleston. ?Reeves and Smyth, both 10-year employees of Charleston County EMS, are used to winning by now. They were the first all-women team to win the state EMS paramedic competition in 2002 and again in 2004.
They have the distinction of being the only all-women team to win first place at the regional and state levels.
The women are now headed to the state finals hoping to catch the state title for the third time.
“Becky and Amanda are a fantastic team,” said Don Lundy, Charleston County EMS Director. “You can watch them at work, and it looks like a symphony of events. Every move is coordinated. Everything is done for the patient in a timely manner and with speed.”
Charleston County EMS came in first place in the regional competition, followed in second place by the Town of Mount Pleasant Fire Department and in third place by Dorchester County EMS.
The entire EMS workforce supported its team’s efforts.
Lundy said that the EMS competition is different, and can even be harder than performing regular EMS care.
“We do this with real patients every day. However, we don’t have judges hanging over us asking various questions. In that sense, competition is much more nerve-wracking,” he said. “Add to that the fact that you perform the finals in front of an audience of 400-plus paramedics and emergency medical technicians, all watching with trained eyes, as you go through the scenario.”
The 2010 South Carolina State Paramedic Championship will be held on Thursday, April 15, in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The Paramedic Championship features professional actors and an elaborate set design to create a challenging scenario for the competitors. Admission to the Paramedic Championship is free for the public.