There are EMS instructors… and then there’s Adam. If you’ve ever met him, sat in one of his courses, or even just spotted his name stamped on the pages of national fire and EMS study resources, you already know he’s not just teaching new providers. He’s shaping them. And honestly, he can’t help it. Education isn’t just his job. It’s his favorite hobby, second only to making sure the coffee pot is always full.
As Impact EMS Training’s Director of EMS Initial Education, Adam leads strategy, curriculum development, and course implementation for students pursuing NREMT certification. But if you ask him how he got into this role, he’ll tell you it’s simple: he saw a need, he had the experience, and he wanted to help new providers become the kind of professionals he would trust on scene.
This is the story of why Adam Knight does what he does, and why the world of initial EMS education is better because of it.
Who Is Adam Knight? A Quick Snapshot
Adam’s EMS journey didn’t start in a classroom. It started on the front lines.
Before joining Impact EMS Training, Adam served an impressive 23-year years with Kootenai County Fire & Rescue in Idaho. He retired as a Captain, a role that demands leadership, clear thinking, and, you guessed it, constant teaching. His job wasn’t just responding to emergencies. It was preparing teams to face the unexpected, because in the fire service, you don’t get the luxury of mediocre training.
Today, Adam channels that experience into the world of EMS education. In his current role, he oversees the development and execution of Initial Certification EMS courses. His mission is to build programs that prepare students not only to pass their exams, but to perform with confidence and competence in the field.
Spoiler: he’s good at it.
Building a Career on Service and Skill
If you strip Adam’s career down to its core, one thing becomes obvious: service has always been his compass.
During his decades at Kootenai County Fire & Rescue, Adam specialized in all-hazards mitigation. The fancy word for a kind of training that equips responders for everything from wildfires to hazardous materials to rescue operations. These aren’t casual skills you pick up. They’re disciplines built through repetition, mentorship, and a relentless insistence on getting it right. Adam spent years teaching other firefighters these techniques, watching the next generation take shape right in front of him.
Teaching wasn’t just part of the job. It was the part that stuck.
He saw firsthand how the quality of instruction impacts performance in the field. He watched students evolve from unsure rookies to capable responders. And he realized that if training wasn’t evolving, neither would the profession.
That realization planted a seed that would eventually grow into a second career.
The Turning Point: Why Adam Loves Teaching EMS
If you ask Adam why he teaches, he’ll probably shrug and say something humble. But his passion for education is obvious the minute he starts talking about it.
He believes learning shouldn’t feel like punishment. It should feel like a discovery. It should spark curiosity, not dread. And in EMS, it should absolutely connect theory to real-world practice.
Unlike some instructors who focus on memorization, Adam is obsessed with understanding. He wants students to know why something works, not just what the textbook says. He’ll be the first to tell you that the field doesn’t care if you memorized a bullet point; it cares if you understand your patient.
One of his favorite teaching reminders is something many students hear from him again and again:
“Confidence is built from clarity. When you understand what you’re doing, you trust yourself and your patients trust you too.”
That philosophy sits at the center of everything he does.
The Author Behind the Instructor
Before Adam was designing national EMS courses, he was writing the materials that other educators used.
He’s the creator of fire-fighter-exam.com, a resource that has helped countless aspiring firefighters prepare for their exams. He also co-founded EMT & Fire Training Inc, expanding his reach into the world of EMS education long before the ideation of Impact EMS.
Adam authored the book Firefighter I, II and Hazmat Practice Questions, along with contributing to PennWell Publishing and the Fire Engineering Handbook’s test bank. Both respected staples in fire service education.
Writing sharpened his teaching style. It forced him to break down complex topics into digestible, practical explanations. It taught him how students think, where they get stuck, and how to guide them toward mastering difficult material.
These skills now shape the way he builds learning paths for Impact EMS Training students. Clear. Intentional. Practical. And yes, a little fun.
Why Adam Believes EMS Training Needs to Evolve
After decades of fieldwork and years of teaching, Adam has seen what works and what doesn’t in EMS training.
He believes three things must be true for EMS education to stay relevant:
1. It must be realistic.
Students need scenarios that look like the world they’ll actually work in. Health care evolves quickly, and EMS education has to keep up.
2. It must be accessible.
Not everyone thrives in a traditional classroom. Online and hybrid options open doors for people who otherwise couldn’t enter the profession.
3. It must stay focused on the learner.
People don’t learn the same way. Some need visuals. Some need hands-on practice. Some need to hear a concept explained three different ways before it clicks. The best instructors adapt, not expect students to.
Adam is constantly pushing EMS education toward these principles, and Impact EMS Training gives him the tools and freedom to do it well.
What Adam Is Building at Impact EMS Training
In his role as Director for Initial EMS Certification programs, Adam is… well, everywhere.
He leads course planning. He advises instructors and students. He refines the curriculum. He helps implement tools that support students all the way through certification. And because he’s Adam, he spends half his time looking ahead to what EMS needs next.
Adam is also helping:
- Develop more interactive learning experiences
- Strengthen alignment with NREMT exam expectations
- Create streamlined learning paths for EMR, EMT, AEMT, and beyond
- Mentor instructors on effective teaching practices
- Ensure that every course Impact offers reflects real-world EMS work
Impact students consistently note how approachable and motivating Adam is. Even in online settings, his presence comes through as supportive, clear, and deeply invested in student success.
The Legacy: How Adam Inspires the Next Wave of EMS Pros
Adam’s impact (pun intended) stretches far beyond the classroom. His students go on to work in fire departments, ambulance services, and critical care teams across the country. They take with them not just knowledge, but habits he instilled: curiosity, humility, accountability, and a relentless care for patients.
When asked what advice he gives new EMS students most often, Adam tends to lean into this:
“Start strong by learning the basics well. Everything else in EMS builds from your foundation.”
Between his real-world experience, his contributions to national fire and EMS education, and his leadership at Impact EMS Training, Adam isn’t just teaching students. He’s shaping the future of the industry.
And the future looks pretty great.
Adam could have retired quietly after his fire service career. Instead, he chose to invest his time, experience, and energy into educating the next generation of EMS providers. His passion, his humor, and his commitment to high-quality training make him a cornerstone of Impact EMS Training.
He’s not here to watch EMS education evolve.
He’s here to lead it.
