Campus News
October 13th, 2025
GC brings ambulance simulator on line
Paramedic program upgrades to state-of-the-art simulator
Garrett College recently installed a state-of-the-art ambulance simulator. Pictured (left to right) are GC Allied Health Program Coordinator Doug Beitzel, Ambulance Simulator Owner Dave Lake, and GC Lead Paramedic Instructor Josh Hook.
The Garrett College Paramedic Program is rolling into the fall semester with a major upgrade: the installation of a full-sized ambulance simulator designed to give students realistic, hands-on training in pre-hospital emergency care.
The simulator was delivered to the Beitzel Career Technology Training Center (CTTC) and installed by Dave Lake, owner of Frisco, Texas-based Ambulance Simulator, which built the simulator. Doug Beitzel, Garrett College's Allied Health program coordinator, said the high-tech unit will allow paramedic students and other pre-hospital care classes to practice real-world scenarios inside a life-sized ambulance environment.
"This purchase is a huge step forward for our program," said Beitzel. "Students can now assess and treat a patient, move them onto a stretcher, load them into the ambulance, and continue care during transport, all within a controlled training environment.
"It's as close to the real thing as we can provide, and we're grateful to Garrett College for supporting this initiative financially," added Beitzel.
The new simulator replaces an older ambulance that had been donated to the program years ago, but was retired due to high maintenance costs and age. For the past two years, Garrett College has been planning and budgeting for this purchase to ensure students have access to modern, high-fidelity training tools.
The simulator comes equipped with working emergency lights, oxygen hookups, and storage compartments for medical bags. When paired with the college's existing high-fidelity patient simulators, realistic drugs, and cardiac monitors, the unit creates an immersive training experience that challenges students to think critically under pressure.
Josh Hook, lead instructor for the paramedic program, emphasized the educational value of the simulator.
"Simulation allows students to apply the knowledge and skills they've learned in the classroom to realistic situations," said Hook. "This environment pushes students to think like paramedics and prepare for the complexity of real emergency calls."
Hook said the addition of the simulator will strengthen Garrett College's paramedic program and "ensure graduates are well-prepared to serve their communities in high-stakes medical emergencies."
Those interested in learning more about Garrett College's paramedic program may contact Program Coordinator Doug Beitzel (301-387-3772; doug.beitzel@garrettcollege.edu).
