Wow. Where do I begin?! I was initially drawn to this program due to my Dekalb AMR co-workers raving reviews of Chris Johnson's Paramedic program. I had been an EMT-B for 6 years and an EMT-A for 6 years so it was past time for me to take the step up. I was instantly pumped about attending and began the arduous task of obtaining the extensive amount of prerequisite documentation required for the program. Fast forward to the first day of class. My initial impression of Chris was instant connection. I felt like I'd already known him my whole life. Something about Chris made him seem like the most humble and easy going instructor i could possibly ask for and was instantly a fan. I'm not gonna lie, my initial thought about the actual size of the school was not that great, but ive learned in life to not judge a book by its cover. Our class started off with approximately 30 people and we were jammed in like sardines. I thought to myself, boy this is gonna be rough!! Day 1, Chris layed out all his expectations of us and told us some harsh realities that basically let us know that he is going to expect a ton from us and a lot of the class won't make it through the program due to their inability to stay focused and stay on task and complete the work in a timely manor. He harped on these things extensively because he is a good man and doesn't want to waste your time, or his.. He even told the class, if this seems too much to handle or you don't like that I'm gonna be on top of you for 15 months, "There's the door, do yourself a favor and don't throw your money away." And he was right.. slowly but surely, the class began to dwindle and the environment turned into a more manageable situation. Looking back on the load of the course and the syllabus, I was instantly overwhelmed. He had us make monthly calenders to ensure we were making time for homework and studying to keep ourselves on task because its very easy to get behind if you're not staying on top of stuff. It was great for me because the class schedule was shift friendly which allowed my time for all the studying required. "If you dont make time for this program, you probably won't make it." When it came to the actual knowledge of the material, Chris is second to none and caters to all different learning styles. He knows most people in our profession are hand on learners and personally made me feel like, "ok. This guy gets it. This'll work." I feel as the content that was presented during this course was far more in depth than a traditional program. We learned lab values, x-rays, and several other modalities that I'm sure weren't taught in other programs. Chris's big thing was he doesn't want to pump out "cook book medics" he wants you to know more than most so you can not only reflect his program with Pride, but you can actually go out in your new role and be competent. Hes big on Problem solving and thinking outside the box so you dont kill your patients. Chris's motto "Ummm Kills people" meaning that in this profession, seconds count and by the time you're fumbling around to try and rectify your patient's condition, its already too late. Chris is really big on respecting the profession and is the type of instructor that EMS needs to continue to succeed. You might think he's harsh at times, but in reality, he's holding you to a higher standard and expecting the most out of you because to him, EMS is not a joke. Chris was by our side the entire time and would always take the time out if I was having a dilemma. And trust me when I say I had plenty. He gets it, and is very patient, And almost always had the answer you needed. Sometimes it wasn't the answer you wanted.. lol.. Faithful Guardian Southside as a whole is a very fluid machine and pumps out boatloads of awesome and proud students. Not only Chris, but his entire staff, starting with the 1st person you make contact with, Kaitlyn. She rocks! The rest of his staff and teachers are equally competent. You need to attend this school!! Highly recommend 👌Alex Tsitsilianos