COLUMBIA, Columbia State Community College recognized 65 emergency medical services graduates in a pinning ceremony held in the Cherry Theater this spring, honoring 42 emergency medical technicians and 23 advanced emergency medical technicians who completed their certificates during the Spring 2026 semester. The ceremony marked the end of an intensive training program that converts civilians into qualified first responders in as little as 15 weeks.
Greg Johnson, Columbia State EMS program director and assistant professor, called it another incredible semester of success and said he was encouraged to see these new graduates enter the workforce and become a positive addition to their communities. The numbers back up his optimism. Traditional spring EMT completers at the Columbia campus achieved an 86 percent first-attempt national registry pass rate. Students on the Williamson Campus achieved a perfect 100 percent. Students in the integrated certificate program earned a 100 percent first-attempt pass rate on the EMT national registry and a 91 percent rate on the AEMT portion for those who have tested to date.
Among the Maury County advanced EMT graduates recognized were Jeremy Farmer, Avery Fitzgerald, Joshua Byers, Miguel Ponce, and Talaia Goodman. The program also served students from Williamson, Lawrence, Bedford, Lewis, Davidson, Montgomery, and Dickson counties, reflecting Columbia State's reach across a broad swath of Middle Tennessee. Notably, 21 high school and homeschool seniors completed EMT certification in May 2026 through a dedicated section at the Williamson Campus, continuing a dual-enrollment partnership Columbia State has built with area high schools including Creek Wood, East Hickman, and Fairview.
Dr. Kae Fleming, dean of the Health Sciences Division, said the EMS Academy gives students a well-structured, rigorous path to becoming highly qualified first responders. In a region where rural roads and spread-out geography put serious demands on emergency services, having a local institution turning out trained EMTs at this volume and pass rate is not a small thing. It is a lifeline. For more information about the EMS program, visit ColumbiaState.edu/EMS.