A Couple Questions with Captain Corbin

A couple questions is a new way for people to share their thoughts and stories in a more structured way. Having an open-ended invitation to contribute can be daunting, especially if you don’t know what to write or where to start.  

·         Captain Jim Corbin, NREMT-P, Western Joint Ambulance District

·         Can you share a short bio, please?

o   59 yr old male, husband, father, grandpa, loves animals, ham radio enthusiast, constitutional libertarian. 

·         What is your current role?

o   Paramedic Captain 

·         Tell me how you got started, where did your interest in EMS come from?

o   I began my career as a volunteer for a very small agency in Kentucky. I was lucky enough to be able to increase my education and make a career out of EMS. 

·         How do you think your time in emergency medicine has changed your view of the world?

o   It’s made me more jaded, more suspicious, and negative at times. It’s also opened my eyes to the beauty of the world. 

·         What do you wish you knew on your first day? What advice would you have for a new provider?

o   Be nice. Not everybody makes it in this business, it’s okay to find another line of work if it starts to bother you. 

·         What advice would you have for someone interested in taking a leadership position?

o   Servant, leadership, learn it and live it. 

·         Where do you see EMS in 10 years?

o   More in home care and more mental health treatment. 

·         What is your favorite funny EMS story to tell at parties?

o   I refrain from telling any stories to people. Living and working in small communities you always run into friends or relatives of your patients.