How the Lighthouse Leadership Program Helped One Paramedic Break Out of the Silo

John Sammons, APP, Wake County EMS, Raleigh, NC — LLP Inaugural Cohort

John Sammons applied to the NAEMT Lighthouse Leadership Program on a whim. He was a Field Training Officer with Wake County EMS in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was competent and experienced but quietly stuck. “I was doing the same thing over and over,” he recalls. “I knew I wanted more out of my career, but I didn’t know where to find it.”

Like many EMS professionals, Sammons had drive and expertise, but he lacked a way in. That’s where NAEMT was able to help. As a member of the LLP’s inaugural group of mentees, he went from a Field Training Officer craving a new challenge to publishing in JEMS and EMS1, contributing to Leadership in Action: The Wisdom and Stories of EMS Innovators, and presenting at EMS World Expo, the NC EMS Expo, and the Tidewater Regional Healthcare Expo. Today he serves on the LLP committee itself, helping shape the program that helped shape him.

Breaking Out of the Silo: Sammons knew the national EMS network existed. He just couldn’t find the door in.

“We often silo ourselves within our own agencies or regions,” he says. “I was at a point in my career where I wanted to break out of that, but I didn’t know how.”

His mentor, Steve Wirth (a longtime NAEMT member, nationally recognized EMS attorney, and leader) became that gateway. The two met several times a month, working through career obstacles, co-developing articles, and stress-testing ideas for presentations. “Steve really helped me with confidence and validation,” Sammons says. “I came into the program feeling like I didn’t belong or wasn’t good enough. He helped me realize that I do have something to offer.”

Leadership Is Not a Title: The LLP’s impact on Sammons wasn’t about climbing the org chart. As an Advanced Practice Paramedic and Peer Support Team member his growth was about a different kind of leadership entirely.

“This program helped me truly understand that leadership does not need a title,” he says. “We all have a responsibility to build each other up, and I try to embrace that every day.”

That philosophy now drives his writing. His EMS1 articles including “First Day Jitters: 8 Ways the FTO Can Make Field Training Better” and “Be a Plus One: From Micromanagement to Meaningful Support” reach thousands of providers, translating peer leadership principles into practical, field-level guidance.

The Network That Stays: Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the LLP, Sammons says, wasn’t professional, it was personal.

“The biggest thing I gained that I didn’t expect was lifelong friendships with the other members of my cohort. Most of us talk daily, and we started the program in 2022.”

That cohort functions as a living professional network through NAEMT, sharing protocols, celebrating milestones, supporting each other through hard times, and collaborating on projects across state lines. Sammons has assisted fellow graduates with research, articles, and podcasts. His mentor is still a phone call away. “If Steve couldn’t help, which was rare, he could steer me to someone who could.”

From Applicant to Architect: Sammons now sits on the LLP Committee, helping shape the program for current and future cohorts.

It’s a role he doesn’t take lightly. “Just before I found this program, I was at a crossroads, not really sure where my career was going. I applied on a whim. Come to find out, it was what I needed.”

For NAEMT members who recognize themselves in that description, capable and experienced, but quietly wondering if there’s more, John Sammons’ story is a direct answer. NAEMT’s network is out there. The door is open.

About John Sammons

John Sammons is an Advanced Practice Paramedic, Relief District Chief, and Peer Support Team member with Wake County EMS in Raleigh, NC. He is a published author, national conference speaker, and member of the NAEMT Lighthouse Leadership Program Committee. His work can be found on EMS1.com.