MOORE HAVEN — EMT/Paramedic Lt. Teresa Summeralls was hired as an emergency medical technician for Glades County while attending paramedic school at the former Edison College in Fort Myers (now Florida SouthWestern State College), way back in 1994.

Among her classmates then was Lt. Lisa Watson, a current Glades County Public Safety Department employee, and her late mother, Margret Pullen.

Summeralls, a native of Ohio, moved to Florida in 1972, came to Ortona in 1975 and joined the Ortona Volunteer Fire Department in around 1992. “Sandy Osceola was teaching first responders when I started, and that’s how I got involved,” she said.

Summeralls received her EMT certification in 1992 and responded to many calls as a first responder with great pride, she said. She had so much passion for caring for people that she went on to paramedic school and received her paramedic certification in 1995.

“My mother and I went to EMT and then paramedic school together,” Summeralls explained.

Teresa has been married to Jimmy Summeralls since 1983 and has two children, Andria and Justin, and four grandchildren she adores. Her family has been her support to back her up and lift her spirits on those not-so-great days, she says.

In her off time, she said, “Yes, I am busy with them. One of our favorite places to go is the beach.”

Lt. Summeralls was GCPS employee of the year in 2016.

About her years of service and her colleagues at Glades County Public Safety, she said, “I have worked beside an awesome team for all these years, we have had good time and some sad ones as well, but it has been well worth it.”