By Marisa Dawson
Bennington Fire & Rescue recently celebrated a significant milestone for two of its dedicated firefighter/EMTs, Nate Johnson and Brant Schuler, who recently graduated from the prestigious Creighton University Paramedic Program. This achievement not only highlights their personal commitment to excellence but also marks a step forward in enhancing emergency medical services for the Bennington community and surrounding areas.
Both firefighter/EMTs completed the intensive program with hands-on training supported by the Omaha Fire Department, which allowed students like them to gain real-world experience in a high-volume metropolitan setting. Brant Schuler shared his inspiration, noting, “My end goal for the whole reason why I wanted to do the program was because I watched some really good paramedics do some cool things in the field. I wanted to learn the same and understand what they were seeing and how to actually treat the patients to help like that.” Similarly, Nate Johnson reflected on his journey, saying he was always intrigued by the role after observing experienced paramedics as a cadet and always wanted to accomplish that level of education for patient care.
Transitioning from EMT to paramedic equips them with advanced skills that dramatically improve patient care. As Brant explained, “the change from EMT to paramedic is drastically higher. So you’re able to do more procedures, pain management, sedation, rhythm interpretation with cardiac meds… be a lot faster in the field.” Nate emphasized the broader departmental and community impact: “having more paramedics on the shift will allow more ALS [advanced life support] crews… now there will be constant 24/7 coverage of ALS in the territory.”
This accomplishment promises a profound positive impact on the entire Bennington community, ensuring faster, more comprehensive advanced life support during emergencies and better outcomes for patients and their families. With these skilled paramedics stepping into leadership roles on calls, Bennington residents can feel even more secure knowing their local first responders are among the best-trained in the region, ready to provide compassionate, expert care when it matters most.
