Paramedic Director Receives State Educator Award

Pennsylvania College of Technology's paramedic program director, Mark A. Trueman, was named the recipient of the 2011 Emergency Medical Services Educator Award by the Pennsylvania State EMS Awards Selection Committee.

The award, presented by the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, honors an individual emergency medical services educator who has contributed to the development and growth of EMS education in Pennsylvania. Trueman's selection was announced at Pennsylvania's 34th Annual State EMS Conference and will be officially presented during the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute annual dinner in November.

Trueman has been a nationally registered paramedic since 1997. He began his work at Penn College as an instructor in 2000 and became director of the paramedic program in 2005.

"He has been instrumental in working with the Lycoming Tioga Sullivan EMS Council on many joint projects to provide educational opportunities and venues for our providers," cited Wendy S. Hastings, acting director of the regional council, in her nomination materials.

Trueman has coordinated with the council, the Department of Public Safety and the Marcellus Shale gas industry to offer educational opportunities to EMS providers on safer response to gas-drilling sites, she noted, and he coordinated an EMT-Paramedic Camp at Penn College for three years to give high school students an opportunity to explore all the avenues of emergency medical services.

He was active with the transition of the paramedic major from the Williamsport Hospital Paramedic Training Institute to Penn College in 2000 as a full-time faculty member and led the successful accreditation site visit in 2009 as director of the program.

He has actively participated on Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and other committees to promote high standards in EMS education and is a member of the National Association of EMS Educators. He serves as a site visitor with the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (under the auspices of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs).

"Still an active paramedic, Mark is a tremendously skilled instructor who brings a lot to the proverbial EMS "˜table,' in terms of personal experience and innovative, proactive and skilled instruction," Hastings wrote.

Trueman is employed part time with Susquehanna Health as a staff paramedic and is a volunteer member of the Trout Run Fire Co. He also volunteers his time to instruct continuing-education courses throughout the Lycoming, Tioga and Sullivan County EMS region.

Trueman earned a bachelor's degree from Lock Haven University; a certificate from the Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center's Paramedic Training Institute; the Critical Care Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic credential from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and a post-baccalaureate certificate in distance education from The Pennsylvania State University.

To learn more about the paramedic program and other degrees available through the School of Health Sciences at Penn College, call 570-327-4519 or visit on the Web .

For more about Penn College, visit online , email or call toll-free 800-367-9222.