health sciences

October 28, 2025, also known as National First Responders Day, is a day on which we recognize the courageous sacrifice and service our first responders provide. Designed by Congress, the national holiday first debuted in 2019.

Jair Hawkins, a 2020 Vol State EMS program graduate, was recently on his honeymoon cruise with his new wife Hailey. While on the cruise, Jair used his training and education to save a woman’s life by using a defibrillator to jumpstart the woman’s heart.

The Hawkins family is filled with heroes. Jair’s father, Jerrod, has had a long career as an EMT, and his mother, Amy, has been credited with saving Jair and his brother’s life in 2006.