Cumberland County EMTs Become First All-Female Team To Win NC Championship

Two Cumberland County medics made history at the NC Emergency Medical Services Expo. Hannah Thompson and Jessica Haines beat five teams to win the EM Today Paramedic Competition in Greensboro on May 4.

They outshone rivals, including past winners, in medical tasks, written tests, and conduct reviews. Brian Langston, Corporate Director Patient Logistics and Mobile Integrated Health, said in a news release, "We're very proud of Hannah and Jessica's win. These competitions prepare our paramedics to improve the treatment of real patients in our community."

Teams faced three tests in early rounds: hands-on medical work, written exams, and professional conduct. The pair spent weeks at Fayetteville Tech practicing tough medical cases.

The final test put teams through their paces at a high school football field crisis. They rushed to save three patients: a player with a collapsed lung, a coach who took too many blood pressure pills, and someone with stab wounds.

When Hannah and I said we were going to do the competition, we did it to learn and have fun,” Haines said. “We had no expectation of actually winning. Then we won the regionals, and it got a little more serious. When we were training, we learned that no all-female team had ever won the competition, and that no Cape Fear Valley team had ever won, either. That was our motivator, once we found that out.”

Four other teams joined after winning March contests across the state. They came from Mecklenburg EMS, Whiteville Rescue, and Surry County EMS, which sent two crews.

“From complex cardiac cases, extensive traumatic injuries, and a plethora of complicated overdoses, we used scenarios that always had two if not three or more patients,” Thompson said. “We fine-tuned our assessment skills and critical thinking. Our dedication and shared perfectionistic traits made our teamwork and patient care smooth and methodical.”