Ten students have successfully completed the Paramedic Program at Beaufort County Community College (BCCC), with seven passing the North Carolina Paramedic Certification Exam on the first attempt, a strong showing for a program that has built one of the most consistent certification records in the state.
Since its launch in 2013, the BCCC Paramedic Program has produced 123 graduates across 10 cohorts and holds a 99.6% pass rate on the North Carolina Paramedic Certification Exam.
Meet the Graduates
The following students completed the program: Jesus Enriquez, Kaitlyn Evarts, Joshua Hassell, Casey Langley, Logan Langley, Jasmine McFarland, Gwendolyn Middleton, Jessie Miller, Jalen Pearce, and Tori Tucker.
EMS Instructor Glenn Mercer presented Joshua Hassell with the Academic Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements throughout the program. One student in the cohort demonstrated exceptional commitment to the field by commuting weekly from Conover, N.C., while working at Medic (Mecklenburg EMS) in Charlotte.
Words of Advice from Brian Alligood
Beaufort County Manager and former paramedic Brian Alligood served as the ceremony’s guest speaker, drawing on his years in EMS to offer graduates practical and philosophical guidance. He spoke on the principle of Primum non nocere — first, do no harm — as well as the importance of patient advocacy and self-care in a demanding profession.
Alligood reflected on how far the field has advanced, from early radio-transmitted three-lead EKGs to today’s paramedics running 12-leads, analyzing rhythms, initiating medications, and routing patients directly to the cath lab.
“Paramedics can do a lot of really cool stuff, but just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily always mean that you should do it,” Alligood said. He closed with a reminder that remains a cornerstone of EMS practice: “Don’t stay and play when you need to load and go.”
About the BCCC Paramedic Program
The EMT to Paramedic program follows guidelines established by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS) and the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The program combines online and in-person instruction to prepare EMTs and Advanced EMTs for the North Carolina or National Registry Paramedic Certification Exam.
BCCC now offers a one-year, online Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Emergency Medical Science bridge program for certified paramedics. Paramedics receive one year of credit for prior learning and complete their degree through online coursework in the second year, a flexible pathway for working EMS professionals looking to advance their credentials.
Next Cohort
The next EMT to Paramedic cohort is scheduled to begin June 9 or 11, using a flip-flop model in which students attend either Tuesday or Thursday each week.
Enrollment requirements:
- Completion of BIO-163 or a higher-level biology course
- Active EMT or AEMT certification
For more information about EMS programs, contact Billy Respass at 252-940-6468 or [email protected]. To enroll in the AAS in Emergency Medical Science program, contact 252-940-6233 or [email protected].