LBW Community College (LBWCC) graduates ranked highest statewide in 2009 for first-attempt passage of the National Registry exam for basic emergency medical technicians (EMT).

According to a recent report from the Alabama Department of Education, the 2009 ranking at 95 percent placed LBWCC on top among the 21 community colleges and universities statewide offering the basic EMT training and compares to a national average of 67 percent. Passage of the exam is required prior to providing emergency medical services by EMTs.

“This is the highest yearly pass rate since the program started in 1991,” said Wayne Godwin, LBWCC’s emergency medical services program director. “Quality instructors anchor the foundation of the program. All our instructors are licensed paramedics or registered nurses with academic degrees and years of field experience.”

The success rate of program graduates reflects their determination and desire to assist people in medical emergencies, he said.

“I’m proud of our students and their hard work. Their success is a tribute to LBWCC and our instructors.”

Lead instructor, Angie Finkel, is a product of LBWCC’s EMS program and also works for Baptist Hospital Lifeflight, a critical care helicopter service based in Pensacola, Fla., he said.

“Our program’s development to its current level of student success is due, in large part, to our instructors and what they bring to students in terms of knowledge and experience.”

Students succeeding on first-attempt exam passage during 2009 represent 10 different cities covering a wide geographic area, including Andalusia, Elba, Red Level, Brewton, Evergreen, Flomaton, Florala, McKenzie, Tuscaloosa, and Paxton, Fla.

Basic EMT training is provided primarily in Andalusia, but the program has also been offered in Greenville and Luverne, and can be completed in one semester, he added.

LBWCC’s emergency medical services program also includes paramedic training completed in four semesters.

For more information on the EMS program at LBWCC, call (334) 881-2210, or view online at www.lbwcc.edu .