Barton Community College EMS Education

08/28/2026

From the Directors Mobile Desk!

It’s 10:30 at night as I write this.

Between last Thursday and this Thursday, it has been a whirlwind for Barton EMS Education.

The days start early. They end late. There are EMT, AEMT, and Paramedic classes happening across Kansas, sometimes at the same time. We don’t work 24-hour shifts anymore, but some weeks it sure feels like we never completely clock out of EMS.

Today was one of those days.

I spent the day in Topeka helping with Paramedic class, then drove back to Great Bend to work with our EMT students tonight. And somewhere on that drive home, something hit me.

I was tired.

But then I started thinking about the people who were going to be there when I got back. The faculty helping with EMT. The AEMT cadre working with another class. The instructors at our other locations doing the same thing tonight.

A lot of those people were once our students.

At some point, they sat in these classrooms. They practiced these same skills. Someone taught them, challenged them, encouraged them, and helped turn them into EMS professionals.

And now they’re back.

They’re kneeling on the floor teaching bandaging. They’re sitting across the table helping a student work through a problem. They’re laughing with students while still making sure they learn how to take care of the person who will eventually call 911 on the worst day of their life.

That’s when the long days start to make a little more sense.

We’re not just teaching EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics.

We’re building the next generation of EMS.

Some of the students in these pictures will graduate and go back to their communities. They’ll take care of somebody’s mom, dad, child, friend, or neighbor. They’ll make decisions that matter when seconds count.

And maybe someday, one of them will come back here.

Maybe they’ll become a lab assistant. Maybe an instructor. Maybe a program director.

Maybe one of them is my replacement someday.

Until then, we’re going to keep teaching them. We’re going to keep challenging them. We’re going to keep showing them why this profession matters.

Because eventually, these students are going to make a difference in someone else’s life.

That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

And at 10:30 at night, after another long day, it’s also what lets me go to sleep knowing the work was worth it.

That’s Barton EMS Education.

We aren’t just training EMS providers.

We’re preparing the people who will carry it forward.

08/25/2026

Had the opportunity to sit down for Cougar Pause today and talk all things EMS! 🚑🎙️

We talked about what’s happening at Barton EMS, the growth we’re seeing across Kansas, how EMS education continues to evolve, and where the profession is headed.

If you have about 25 minutes, give it a listen! Whether you’re already in EMS, thinking about getting into the profession, or just curious about what we’re building, check it out.

🎙️ Cougar Pause: EMS Director Nick Larmer

You can find the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or listen directly through Amazon Music here:

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67c72bb4-aac0-4264-ab51-c0a34b1991de/episodes/a8d26985-1248-4f9b-ad7b-134f6b81c420/great-bend-post-podcast-cougar-pause-ems-director-nick-larmer

Proud of our students, faculty, and the EMS professionals and communities we get to work alongside every day.

We’re not just educating the next generation of EMS—we’re helping build it. 🚑🔥

Hear this week's Cougar Pause show with Eagle Media's Shannon Towns and the EMS Director at Barton Community College, Nick Larmer. The show aired August 24th, 2025. The Cougar Pause program airs every Monday at 11:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB & 95.5 FM

07/14/2026

What a day.😅

Today our Barton Community College Paramedic students traded the classroom for the community, spending the morning at Cornerstone Daycare in Lyons.

The children climbed aboard the ambulance during our Touch-a-Truck, wrapped their own Trauma Teddy with gauze, listened to heart and lung sounds, checked oxygen levels, and had their vitals taken by future paramedics. There were plenty of smiles, curious questions, and even quiet moments—like comforting and feeding a little one—that reminded us what this profession is truly about.

These experiences aren’t just for the kids.

They help our students learn something you can’t teach from a textbook: how to earn a child’s trust, calm fears, communicate with families, and provide compassionate care long before an emergency ever happens.

This is what makes Barton different. We don’t wait until graduation to build great paramedics. We intentionally create real-world experiences that develop clinical skills, confidence, compassion, and strong community relationships.

A huge thank you to Cornerstone Daycare for welcoming us, and to Rice County EMS for partnering with us. By bringing local EMS providers into the daycare, the children were able to meet the very people who may one day respond when they need help. Building that familiarity now can make a frightening situation feel just a little less scary in the future.

Days like today remind us that EMS isn’t just about responding to emergencies—it’s about serving, educating, and strengthening the communities we call home.

🚑💙 Barton EMS Education: Building exceptional paramedics by serving our communities before they ever call 911.

07/09/2026

Way to go Eli!!!

🚒 Join us in congratulating Firefighter Eli Rohr on earning his EMT certification! 🎉

You might wonder: why do Hays firefighters become certified EMTs?

In an emergency, every second counts. Our firefighters are often the first on the scene of medical emergencies, accidents, and rescues. By being dual-trained in fire suppression and emergency medical services, Firefighter Rohr and our entire team can provide immediate, life-saving care before an ambulance even arrives.

Thank you, Eli, for your hard work and dedication to keeping Hays safe and healthy! 👏❤️

06/30/2026

This is rural EMS education.

Today, our paramedic students stood at the whiteboard teaching ventilator management, respiratory care, and critical-care calculations before they have even finished medic school.

Read that again!!

They were not simply repeating information. They were explaining the physiology, defending their decisions, working through the math, and teaching one another how to care for the sickest patients they may ever encounter.

Rural does not mean behind.

Rural means we prepare for the moment when the nearest specialist is miles away, the resources are limited, and the patient still deserves exceptional care.

We are not lowering the bar because of where we are.

We are raising paramedics who can reach it.

These students are smart. They are capable. They are becoming clinicians, leaders, and teachers.

And we are unbelievably proud to call them ours.

06/21/2026

This morning I was thinking about Father’s Day and how much it reminds me of EMS.

Both ask you to answer when someone calls your name.

Sometimes that call comes over a radio. Sometimes it comes from a little voice down the hall in the middle of the night.

Neither one keeps score of the sacrifices.

To every dad who is a student, faculty member, administrator, EMS provider, physician, nurse, dispatcher, respiratory therapist, technician, or member of our healthcare family, thank you.

Thank you for missing dinners because someone else needed you. Thank you for teaching your children what service looks like, not by talking about it, but by living it. Thank you for showing them that kindness matters, that character matters, and that helping people is still one of the greatest callings a person can choose.

I have learned that our legacy is rarely built in the big moments. It is built in the ordinary ones. Reading one more bedtime story before a night shift. Showing up for a ball game after a 24 hour shift. Encouraging a student who does not believe in themselves. Sitting with a patient who is scared. Those moments may seem small, but they shape lives.

So today, I simply want to say thank you.

Thank you for caring for your families.

Thank you for caring for our communities.

Thank you for helping build the next generation of healthcare providers.

Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads who continue to answer the call at home and at work.

Nick Larmer
Director of EMS Education
Barton Community College

06/19/2026

Today is one of those days that reminds us why we do what we do.

At Barton EMS Education, we’re not defined by first-time pass rates. We’re defined by students achieving their goals and becoming the providers they were meant to be. Of course, we hope every student passes on the first attempt, but our mission has always been bigger than a statistic. It’s about perseverance, growth, resilience, and refusing to quit.

Today, we got one of our favorite phone calls:

“I passed!”

Behind those two words were countless hours of studying, overcoming anxiety, pushing through self-doubt, and choosing to keep going when quitting would have been easier. Moments like that are why we teach.

We're also incredibly proud to share that our most recent paramedic cohort achieved:
✅ 100% NREMT pass rate
✅ 100% program retention
✅ 100% job placement

Those numbers matter—but not because they’re perfect. They matter because every percentage point represents a person who reached a dream, a family that’s celebrating tonight, and another highly trained paramedic ready to serve their community.

Here’s to perseverance, purpose, and the next success story.

06/04/2026

Way to go Zane and Dylan!!!

Please join us in sending a huge congratulations to Firefighter Dylan Scheibler and Firefighter Zane Stipe! 🚒🚑

Both have officially completed all requirements to earn their EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician - Basic) certifications. This rigorous training takes an incredible amount of hard work, long hours, and dedication. By advancing their medical training, Dylan and Zane are enhancing the City of Hays Fire Department's ability to serve, protect, and care for our community during emergencies.

Drop a comment below to thank them for their dedication and congratulate them on this fantastic achievement! 👏

05/20/2026

When college leadership steps into the ambulance simulator to support pediatric EMS education, it sends a powerful message: caring for children matters.

Today, on EMS for Children Day during EMS Week 2026, we are reminded that some of the smallest patients will one day depend on someone in the back of an ambulance to know exactly what to do.

That preparation starts here.

At Barton, students train through hands-on pediatric simulations designed to build not only skill and confidence, but compassion for children and families experiencing some of the hardest moments of their lives.

We are thankful for leaders like Vice President Elaine Simmons, and others who continue supporting healthcare education and investing in the future of EMS.

Because somewhere in the future, this training may help save someone’s child.

05/19/2026

Safety matters for everyone on scene.

Today we recognize the importance of keeping EMS providers, patients, and communities safe. From roadway awareness to proper lifting techniques, scene safety, mental wellness, and teamwork, every safe decision protects both caregivers and those they serve.

EMS professionals face unique challenges every day, but through preparation, communication, and looking out for one another, we continue building stronger and safer systems of care.

Thank you to all the providers and agencies who prioritize safety while serving their communities with professionalism and dedication.