ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2017) – Sunstar Paramedics employee Richard Romanek received the 2017 Preceptor of the Year award from the Florida Association of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Educators.
Romanek was honored for his dedication to mentoring St. Petersburg College students. As a preceptor, Romanek provides essential training for EMS students during their field internship at Sunstar.
“Richard is one of our best preceptors and certainly the most sought out preceptor with Sunstar,” said Rebecca Ludwig, Dean of Health Sciences at St. Petersburg College. “He is very student centered and a tremendous asset to our program.”
After joining Sunstar as a paramedic in 2012, Romanek quickly advanced to become a preceptor. He has also been selected to work as a field training officer and safety officer with Sunstar. He is also a basic and advanced cardiac life support instructor.
“Richard is a well-respected paramedic, and puts in the most hours of any preceptors for St. Petersburg College,” said Mark Postma, chief operating officer of Sunstar Paramedics. “We’re very pleased that he was recognized for his important work in educating the next generation of paramedics and EMTs.”
Romanek has several commendations from local organizations, including local fire departments, nursing homes, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Association of EMS Educators is an association that provides resources to individuals and organizations to foster high-quality EMS education and training. The statewide awards recognize those who exemplify excellence in EMS education.
About Sunstar Paramedics
Sunstar is the 911 ambulance transport service for all Pinellas County residents, employing 615 local residents, and responding to around 500 calls a day. Highly awarded and accredited, Sunstar utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and software, and (along with parent company Paramedics Plus) is an innovator of the industry’s best practices. Sunstar’s team is heavily involved in Pinellas communities, focusing largely on safety programs for the public and for schools. Sunstar is also a prior recipient of the Florida Governor’s Sterling Award, the state’s most prestigious award recognizing “role models for organizational performance excellence.” More info at SunstarEMS.com.