Charles Sims, Chair of the Paramedic Sciences program at Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus, has received the David J. Edwards Memorial Primary Instructor of the Year award from the Department of Homeland Security for the State of Indiana. The award was presented to him at the Indiana Emergency Response Conference on August 21 at the Indiana Convention Center. The award honors individuals for their dedication to providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to be proficient in pre-hospital care.
Sims worked for Cummins Inc. for 30 years, during which time he became certified as an EMT, as an EMT Primary Instructor, and as a paramedic. He became chair of the Paramedic Sciences program at Ivy Tech-Columbus and began the paramedic program in 2005. The success rate of his students on the EMT state exams is 98%, as a result of his dedication to “ensuring the success of each and every student.”
Sims conducts free Emergency Medicine presentations and free CPR workshops in the community and remains current in the field by serving as a part-time paramedic for Columbus Regional Hospital. He is a certified instructor in CPR/First Aid, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support, Advanced Medical Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. He is an instructor for the American Heart Association, the South Central Indiana EMT Association, and Columbus Regional Hospital, in addition to Ivy Tech.