Edwin Garland brings unmatched experience and skills to teach community's future first responders.
GENEVA, Ill.– The Southern Fox Valley Emergency Medical Services System is now considered one of the most valued and well-established in Illinois thanks to system coordinator Edwin Garland.
Garland started out as a paramedic and has been serving the community for almost 23 years. He then moved on to pursue his nursing degree. He has also worked as a volunteer firefighter for 15 years, and he was eventually ranked as a captain.
Now, Garland is the system coordinator for Southern Fox, an EMS district in the western suburbs of Chicago.
“There are only 16 other people in the state who do this job,” Garland said.
On a daily basis, Garland can be found teaching new paramedics, reviewing new state EMS procedures, acting as the liaison between his system and the state and overseeing Southern Fox as a whole.
Garland said that being able to see both sides of treating patients, from the field to the emergency room, is one thing that has helped him succeed at his current position.
“As a medic, I see, do, act and treat,” Garland said. “As a nurse, I spend more time teaching a patient how to manage their own health. Being able to relate to both sides makes it easier to bring the team together.”
Garland was also in the Army for 13 years and served four years of active duty.
Deb Ward, the assistant EMS coordinator, said Garland’s military attitude is one of the more entertaining parts of working with him.
“I’ve known him for 25 years and have worked with him for 13,” Ward said. “He’s very dedicated to the job. You can tell he has a military background, and sometimes that’s where I have to rein him in. But he is very passionate about his job.”
“I was actually studying to be a police officer,” Garland said. “An instructor got me hooked [on EMS work].”
Garland trains about 25 paramedics per year. Passing on his knowledge is one of the favorite parts of his job. He also teaches his paramedics how to cope with everything they see.
“I tell them to talk to people who can relate to what you do,” Garland said. “It’s just teaching them, ‘Hey, you don’t have to handle it all. You can talk to people.’”
Garland always leaves his newly trained paramedics with one piece of advice.
“Never quit learning,” he said. “There’s always room to learn. I learn something every day.”