The Forest-Blade • ummiEmamielCoimtyLive.com • Swainsboro, Georgia • February 17, 2021 3A
Hometown Public Servant:
EMS Director Courtney Terwilliger
This iweek's Hometown
Public Servant is Emanuel
Medical Services Director
Courtney Terwilliger.
Background info on
Terwilliger
Born in Jacksonville,
Florida, Terwilliger relo
cated to Emanuel County
at the age of five years old.
According to Terwilliger,
his father was from upstate
New York and his mother
was a local of Emanuel
County. The family resid
ed in North Florida where
his father worked in the
timber business prior to
relocating to Emanuel
County.
"My family moved back
to Emanuel County after
my grandmother died to
help my grandfather with
the family farm. I was five
years old at the time, so
Emanuel County is the
only home I have known,"
Terwilliger said.
Family is the reason
for Terwilliger's current
placement in Emanuel
County and why he chose
to make Emanuel County
his home.
"It's about family. My
family and my wife's fam
ily were all in Emanuel
County. The gift of family
love is one of God's great
est gifts. And, I have been
blessed with this gift here
in Emanuel County. My
wife, Toni, and I have
been married for almost
39 years. On various days
she has loved me, toler
ated me, or resisted (suc
cessfully so far) the urge
to kill me. She remains
the love of my life and
my best friend. We have
raised two beautiful chil
dren, Ivy and Courtney III.
We have been blessed to
call Emanuel County our
home," Terwilliger further
stated.
Professional
Background
Terwilliger has been
an EMS provider for 44
years and has served
in the capacity of direc
tor for the past 42 years.
Terwilliger spent 10 of
those years serving as both
EMS Director and County
Emergency Management
Agency Director. In addi
tion, he has also served as
Emanuel Medical Center's
Continuous Quality
Improvement coach and
currently handles emer
gency preparedness,
hazardous materials and
coordinates the hospital's
security.
Apart from serving
the local community,
Terwilliger also enjoys the
partnerships developed
with the county and with
individuals across the
state of Georgia.
"I have been encour
aged by both the county
government and the hos
pital administration to
fake a leadership role in
statewide initiatives. With
the assistance of Butch
Parrish, the Speaker of
the House appointed me
to the Georgia Trauma
Commission, where I have
served for eight years.
I chaired the Georgia
Association of EMS for 14
years and the State EMS
Advisory Council for 16
years. I appreciate the hos
pital administration and
medical staff's support,
particularly Dr. Clifton,
EMS medical director. I
appreciate the help of the
county commissioners and
other public safety organi
zations in our county. This
support has given EMS the
ability to serve our com-
TERWILLIGER
munity better," he stated.
Fun fact: Did you
know that EMS Director
Terwilliger was once certified
as a firefighter at the Georgia
Safety Training Center? It's
true! During a recent inter
view zvith Terwilliger, he
relayed this information for
public knowledge. However,
he advised that EMS has been
his interest and is why he
chose to stay committed to
Emergency Medical Services.
Education and Training
When speaking on what
sparked his interest in
serving the local commu
nity, Terwilliger's reason
ings were simple.
"I took the EMT course
when I was young and
single. Instead of spending
my nights being unpro
ductive, I chose to take
the course to learn what
to do in an emergency, just
for my knowledge and to
preoccupy my time two
nights a week," Terwilliger
reflected.
According to Terwilliger,
he enjoyed the training
and was offered a job,
which he took. Today, he
states that he realized that
it was not his plan, but
God's calling. For this rea
son, the song "Bless the
Broken Road" has a lot of
meaning to Terwilliger.
"My initial degree was
an associate degree in
biology. I went to UGA
and worked on a degree
in forest resources but
left before I completed
the program. I recently
received a BA degree from
East Georgia State College
in fire and emergency ser
vices administration. I am
very appreciative to Dr.
Lee Cheek and Professor
Beverely Walker for devel
oping this degree pro
gram," Terwilliger stated.
Directing EMS
Terwilliger states that
he enjoys working with a
team of professional men
and women who serve
our community and com
mends them all for their
superb job performance.
"Our local EMS pro
fessionals deserve recog
nition as public servants.
These men and women
see things every day that
others do not want to see
and perhaps could not
deal with. They do it in a
professional manner, and
I am proud to be associat
ed with them," Terwilliger
stated.
"There is no day-to-
day routine. The days I
"think" I have planned are
often "hijacked" by imme
diate needs. Most of my
duties today are adminis
trative, and I attend many
meetings and webinars. I
remain active on both the
regional and state level
and serve on several advi
sory committees. The pro
fession is changing rapid
ly, and keeping up with
the new opportunities and
requirements is challeng
ing," Terwilliger ended.
EMS Employment
Requirements
To be hired to work
with EMS, one must go
through training, take the
National Registry exam,
and be licensed in Georgia.
There is a recertification
cycle every two years that
requires the medics to
complete specific training
objectives. In addition to
that, all the paramedics
with the service are cre-
dentialed in two "post-li
cense skills." These are
the use of an advanced
transportation ventilator
and the initiation of addi
tional units of blood.
On board with EMS
One thing that the local
community, including
the medical communi
ty, may not understand
is the depth and breadth
of EMS professionals'
skill set. EMS ambulanc
es carry state-of-the-art
cardiac monitors capable
of 12 and 15 lead EKGs.
These machines can con
nect to the internet in the
ambulance and send this
information to the hospi
tals receiving the patient.
The paramedics are skilled
at interpreting these EKGs
and can take the patient
to the most appropriate
hospital. The units can
monitor oxygen levels,
waveform capnography,
and non-invasive blood
pressure readings. EMS
also carries state-of-the-art
hospital-grade ventilators,
LUCUS II automatic CPR
devices, and IV pumps to
control medications given.
A second factor that is to
be recognized for EMS job
performance is the change
in workload over the years.
According to Terwilliger,
when he first entered the
EMS field, the department
ran an average of approxi
mately 55 calls per month,
with almost all calls trans
ferring the patients to
Emanuel Medical Center.
During last week's inter
view with Terwilliger, he
highlighted that the EMS
record volume for calls in
one month is 427.
"On an average month,
25 percent of these calls
involve a transfer to a more
distant hospital. The most
challenging issue with this
is that we cannot sched
ule our calls. We may go
for hours without a need
and then have four calls
come in within five min
utes. It makes for a stress
ful situation, and COVID-
19 has made it more so,"
Terwilliger explained.
A third item for discus
sion with EMS today is the
change in weight of EMS
patients.
"Today, it is common to
have patients that weigh
over 300 pounds, and
we have several that are
above 500 pounds. Add to
that the stretcher's weight
and interject old rickey
stairs, and it makes for a
very hazardous situation,"
Terwilliger concluded.
Thoughts from
Terwilliger to the commu
nity in which he serves
"First, I would like to
thank the community for
allowing me to serve in
this role. The second com
ment is somewhat tongue-
in-cheek. I am the second
to the last person you
want to deal with (the last
is the funeral director). I
would suggest to the citi
zens to put me out of busi
ness. To do this, wear your
seat belts, keep your blood
pressure under control, get
checked for diabetes, exer
cise, and change your diet.
An apple a day may keep
the doctor away but does
not stop the ambulance."
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Bobcat Sp©t
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Bobcat Athletics Week
in Review: February 7*14
Our Bobcats had a busy week starting with multiple games on February 9.
The Lady Bobcat Softball team took on Spartanburg Methodist in a dou
ble-header and won both games, with a win of 12 to 4 in Game 1 and a
shutout in Game 2 of 9 to 0.
The Men's Basketball team then took to the court to fight a hard battle
against South Georgia State College. They fell 91 to 79 in a game that stayed
close right up until the two-minute mark.
Bobcat Baseball entered the diamond against Combine Academy on
February 10, kicking off two days of double-headers. The Bobcats came out
on top in Game 1 on Wednesday with a score of 5 to 1, then picked up Game
2 in a clean shutout at 12 to 0. On February 11, the Bobcats took Game 1 with
a score of 11 to 5, then rounded out the two days of play with a win in Game
2 of 4 to 3.
Also on February 11, the Men's Basketball team took to the road to face
South Georgia State again, falling 91 to 53.
The Bobcats started this week in action with the Men's and Women's Bas
ketball teams taking on Albany Tech on February 16. The Lady Bobcat
Softball team will be on the road today, February 17, against USC Salke-
hatchie in a double-header.
Thursday will see the Lady Bobcat Basketball team on the road against
Albany Tech, while the Men's Basketball team will take on Gordon State at
home at 7:30 p.m.
Bobcat Baseball will take to the diamond on Friday against USC Lancaster
at noon for a double-header, and Lady Bobcat Softball will be in action for a
double-header against Spartanburg Methodist on their turf beginning at 1
p.m. The Lady Bobcats will match up again with Albany Tech on Saturday,
this time at home, beginning at 1 p.m., while Men's Basketball will take on
Gordon State in Barnesville at 3 p.m.
The Bobcats will also have a busy Sunday, with the Lady Bobcat Softball
team taking on USC Union in a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. and the
Bobcat Baseball team in another double-header against USC Lancaster
beginning at 1 p.m.
Don't miss any of the action in Bobcat Athletics! At this time, basketball
games are still closed to fans, but baseball and softball are allowing specta
tors. Please remember to follow all guidelines.
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Upcoming Events:
February 17 - Black History Month Trivia with Student Life - 11 a.m.
Black History Month Trivia Game Show with AAMI - 6 p.m.
February 18 - Men’s Home Basketball Game* - 7:30 p.m.
February 19 - 12 Week Session Drop for Non-Payment
February 20 - Women’s Home Basketball Game* - 1 p.m.
February 21 - Baseball Home Game - Double Header - 12 p.m.
February 22 - 26 - Add Back for Non-Payment - 12 Week Session Only
February 23 - BCM Club Meeting - 10:45 a.m.
Criminal Justice Club Meeting - 1 p.m.
*Due to COVID-19 concerns, no fans or spectators are allowed at home athletic events for basketball.
Fans are allowed at home baseball and softball games, but must observe all rules.
For more information on EGSC’s schedule and response to the
ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, visit www.ega.edu/COVID19
T>iA you A-bbu\A classes A-b EOSCA*
Join our AluMrti AssodAbioti! CsoftbAcJr
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