Daniel Shields – Butler County Paramedic: Daniel joined the United States Army as a Junior in high school at 17. Being a military member was something that he wanted to do from a very young age, so as soon as he could join, he made it happen. Daniel went to basic combat training during the summer between his Junior and Senior years of high school. Upon graduation in August 2003, he returned for his Senior year of high school. Upon graduating high school, he left again and completed his Advanced Individual Training, which he completed in July of 2004. From there, he worked various jobs while attending monthly drills for the Army. In December of 2005, he was one of five individuals from his unit in Wichita to be sent to Lincoln, NE, for pre-mobilization training for deployment to Iraq. Part of his pre-mobilization training in Lincoln consisted of a 40-hour combat lifesaver class. This class was essentially an advanced first aid class in the event of a combat casualty. Daniel believes that this class spawned his interest in EMS. In February of 2006, he was the sole individual from his unit to be sent to Iraq with the unit from Lincoln. He spent thirteen months in Iraq and returned in March of 2007. Daniel returned to the civilian workforce again but always felt something was missing. He and his fiancé were married in 2008, and soon after, he was again selected for his second deployment, this time to Kuwait. During both of his deployments, he was tasked with convoy security and, as a result, unfortunately, witnessed the horrors of combat not only on his fellow soldiers but also on himself. During his second deployment in 2009, he was out on a mission in Iraq and became victim to an IED known as an explosively formed projectile, or EFP. These specific types of IEDs are known for their catastrophic damage to military vehicles and personnel. He and the two other soldiers in the vehicle were injured, with his Truck Commander (TC) sustaining the most severe injuries of the three. Daniel’s training and instincts immediately kicked in, and he was able to pull his TC from the vehicle and to a safer location until further help arrived. While waiting for our medic to arrive, he began assessing his TC’s injuries and preparing him for further treatment. Daniel was awarded the Purple Heart Medal in Kuwait and remained there until our time was finished. He returned home in February of 2010 and attempted to find his way in the civilian workforce again. While trying to find his way in life, he seemed to go from job to job, in and out of school, changing majors, but never really finding a true passion. He decided to go to EMT school, which was probably one of the best decisions he could have made. While life got in the way for a bit, with a new wife and three beautiful children, Daniel could finally continue following his dream of becoming a Paramedic. He started Paramedic school in August of 2018 and completed the arduous program in December of 2019, and he has never looked back. Daniel absolutely loves what he does and wishes he would have started this journey much sooner.

His time in the Army, especially during his two combat deployments, spawned an early interest and well-prepared him for his career in EMS.