Every year, paramedics from across the state compete to be crowned the champions of the North Carolina Office of EMS Paramedic competition and carry the bragging rights of being “the best paramedics in the state.

Pender EMS and Fire submitted two teams into this year’s competition, and the teams competed at regional sites in Johnston and Cumberland counties.

On March 6, NCOEMS announced that Pender Team 1, Mckenzie Harrelson and Owen Feest, had won their region and will now be advancing to the state championship, held in Greensboro in May.

Pender EMS and Fire will compete in the finals against teams from Rowan, Iredell, Guilford and Chatham counties.

“Our paramedics put in a significant amount of work and preparation to compete in this event. We are very proud of them and excited to see them perform in May for the finals,” stated David Dudding, assistant chief of Pender EMS and Fire.