Early last fall, Firefighter Michael Lynch began the lengthy and exhaustive process of attending paramedic school. This 1000-plus hour program met five days each week over several months. At the conclusion of the academic portion which included rotations in various hospital areas such as the emergency room, intensive care unit, and maternity ward Mike then embarked on a field internship. After hundreds of hours of time on the ambulance and having treated dozens of patients with a wide variety of medical and traumatic conditions he complete the program. Graduation was held on Wednesday, June 13 in the auditorium at Northwest Community Hospital.

The paramedic class is a collaboration between the Northwest Community Emergency Medical Services System (NWCEMSS), Northwest Community Hospital, and Harper College. The NWCEMSS was the first EMS system in Illinois, founded in 1972, and one of the first in the USA. For more information visit http://www.nwcemss.org/default.aspx