About our GM, Founder:
PSE was founded by Phoenix Fire Department Captain Paramedic Rick Garner. Rick started the “Sports Paramedic” concept because of the 1990 on court cardiac arrest incident involving Hank Gathers. “After seeing that incident I knew we needed to bring the EMS skill set we used as paramedics in the streets to the courts, fields, and rinks of sporting events. I believed if we could insert EMS into sports, then lives could ultimately be saved.”
Since that time Rick’s managed the game day EMS programs for the NBA Phoenix Suns, NHL Arizona Coyotes, AFL Arizona Rattlers, The Fiesta Bowl, College Football National Championship Games, Top Rank Boxing Events, MMA events, and Arizona State University’s Football and Hockey programs.
The next step: After a few seasons of working around professional hockey’s AT’s, we knew we could teach them how to more effectively manage a medical emergency, prior to the arrival of 911 resources. And even better was they wanted to learn how. In the end, this would improve player safety, and could possibly save lives. “It’s been my experience that professional hockey’s AT’s are currently some of the best trained in Emergency Medical Preparedness.”
PSE has since provided specialized EMS training programs for the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS), The National Hockey League Team Physician Society (NHLTPS)