Coffee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has donated a fully operational ambulance to Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program, further strengthening a long-standing partnership between the two institutions.
The donation of the 2019 Ford F-350 Type I ambulance follows CRMC EMS’s recent replacement of several units in its fleet. After discussions with Wiregrass EMS leadership confirmed a need for a training vehicle, CRMC leadership and the hospital board unanimously supported donating the vehicle as an in-kind contribution to support hands-on education and local workforce development.
“This ambulance was used by our EMS team to serve the people of Coffee County faithfully, and now it will serve a new purpose—training the next generation of EMS professionals,” said Vicki Lewis, President and CEO of Coffee Regional Medical Center. “We are proud to support Wiregrass and the essential work they do in preparing students for careers that make a difference in our community.”
The ambulance was recently in service for 911 calls throughout Coffee County and remains in sound mechanical condition. Its donation ensures that EMS students at Wiregrass can gain experience with the type of equipment they’ll encounter in the field, helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world emergency response.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s EMS program plays a critical role in training and certifying emergency medical technicians and paramedics, many of whom go on to serve in regional health systems, including Coffee Regional.
“This generous donation will provide our EMS students with a hands-on, real-world training environment that mirrors the work they’ll be doing in the field. We are grateful for this support, which will help prepare our graduates to serve and save lives in our communities,” said DeAnnia Clements, President of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
This partnership between CRMC and Wiregrass reflects a shared commitment to supporting healthcare education and strengthening the pipeline of trained EMS professionals in rural South Georgia.