Scholarship Established in Memory of Longtime Paramedic

Published 02.20.2012

News
Nursing & Health Sciences
Scholarships

Commemorating the creation of a Pennsylvania College of Technology scholarship honoring the memory of William E. Henry are, from left, Mark A. Trueman, director of the college's paramedic technology programs; Henry's son, Matthew; his daughter, Linda Patrick; his fiancée, Kelle Johnson; and Barry R. Stiger, vice president for institutional advancement. A pioneer in emergency medical services in Lycoming County will be memorialized through a new scholarship fund at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

William E. Henry passed away in October at the age of 56. He graduated with the first class of the Williamsport Hospital School of Paramedic Training in 1979 and was a paramedic on the first advanced life support response in Lycoming County on July 16, 1979.



The William E. Henry Memorial Scholarship Fund will be open to full-time or part-time students in the college's emergency medical services associate-degree major or paramedic technician certificate major who are residents of Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga or Union counties, and who have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Preference will be given to applicants who perform volunteer service in their home communities or the college community, and who have three years' or more experience in emergency medical services as a first responder or emergency medical technician.

Friends and family who established the scholarship fund said the selection criteria for the awards were set to ensure that the scholarship will be awarded annually to a paramedic student who exemplifies Henry's dedication to emergency services and community service.

William HenryIn addition to his 32-year career as a paramedic with Williamsport Hospital and Susquehanna Health, Henry was a member of the First Ward Fire Department for 42 years and served as the South Williamsport Borough fire chief from 1995 until his death.

He was one of the original members of the Little League International Safety and Security Committee, served on numerous other emergency services-related boards and committees, and was a past president of the Central Area Fire Chiefs Association.

Henry was an instructor of Advanced Cardiac, Pediatric and Basic Life Support, an EMT and Pennsylvania State Fire Academy Instructor, a nationally registered paramedic, and a certified Hazardous Materials Technician who helped develop the first Regional Hazardous Materials Decontamination Center.

He was very active in advancing prehospital care for the residents of Lycoming County, including the initiation of many state-of-the-art patient-care procedures and the coordination of hospital and prehospital management of cardiac and stroke patients to expedite care and improve outcomes.

The first awards from the William E. Henry Memorial Scholarship Fund will be made for the Fall 2012 semester. Penn College is accepting donations toward raising at least $25,000 to endow the fund and make it a permanent source of scholarship awards.

Donations to the William E. Henry Memorial Scholarship Fund may be made by mail to the Penn College Foundation, One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701-5799, or online .

For additional information about Penn College Pennsylvania's premier technical college and the home of "degrees that work" in more than 100 career areas visit on the Web , email or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

For more information about making a gift or establishing a scholarship fund to support Penn College and its students, visit online , email , or call the Institutional Advancement Office toll-free 866-GIVE-2-PC (866-448-3272).