West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services

John Thomas Presented with 30-Year State Service Award

Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:02 PM

EMS Week

Years of Service Award Recipient

John Thomas

30 Years of Service

At last year's inaugural "Years of Service" ceremony held in recognition of EMS week, many State Office and TSN employees were recognized for their years of service to EMS.  Each year the "Years of Service" Award will be given to State Office and TSN employees who reach a 5 year milestone in their EMS certification.

This year, in recognition for 30 years of service to EMS, John Thomas today received a Years of Service Award.  The award was presented to John by Dr. Drema Mace, Director, WV Office of EMS.

John Thomas has been a Paramedic for 30 years.  John received a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Concord University in 1979 and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and Rehabilitation from Marshall University in 1981. John was first exposed to EMS at Marshall University.  He had a friend who was an EMT and that resulted in John becoming interested in EMS.   John first became certified as an EMT-B in June 1982.  He took his first EMS course in McDowell County earlier that year.   He was first affiliated with the Welch Fire Department.  He was there about 18 months and he went to work for Concord University and was on the Athens Fire Department.  He became a National Registry Paramedic in 1990.

John came to work with OEMS in August 2001 as the EMS for Children Program Coordinator.  He then moved to Certification Coordinator in 2003, Education and Compliance Administrator in 2006, this job title changed to Education Coordinator.   He now serves as the Interim Workforce Section Chief within the Division of EMS Licensure and Certification.  Most recent of John's many accomplishments in his various roles within OEMS, is the development and implementation of the OEMS Chaplaincy Program.

John and his lovely wife Karen, live with their two children in Culloden, WV where John is beginning his 20^th year of affiliation with the Colloden VFD.  Please join us in celebrating this significant milestone in John's career.