Carly Strong got her start in EMS about 20 years ago. She was considering medical school when she went on a ride along with Berkeley City Fire. After responding to a vehicle accident, and seeing the difference that someone can make in such a very short amount of time, “It absolutely swept me up,” she said.
She redirected her career path and decided to go into emergency services. After obtaining her EMT certification, she was accepted for a paramedic program with National University and West Med College/ Riggs Ambulance.
She decided to grow with the program after getting her paramedic license. When she felt supervisors were not truly understanding the challenges the crews faced, she began joining committees. “I thought I rather than complaining about the problem, I wanted to be part of the solution,” she recalled.
Thus began her start in leadership – trying to improve the organization by getting involved and helping staff and management to work together.
Strong rose through the ranks, spending about 2 years each as an FTO part-time supervisor, then operations manager. Now the chief operating officer of SEMSA, which covers Riggs Ambulance, a 911 operation in Lassen County, a wheelchair transport service in Merced County, as well as in Reno, and an ADM with air methods in Lassen, Strong oversees about 32 ambulances and two helicopters, and all of the staff and leadership that go along with it.
Here, she offers her tips to young leaders or staff interested in becoming a leadership. “We need you,” she encourages.
