Southern Maine Community College’s (SMCC) Don Sheets has been named the 2025 recipient of the Maine EMS Governor’s Award, the highest individual honor in the state’s emergency medical services system. The award was presented during the Maine EMS Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, 2025.
(L-R) State Senator Anne Carney, Don Sheets, MCCS President David Daigler
Sheets began his public safety career as a junior firefighter with the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department and completed his EMT and paramedic training at SMCC, graduating in 2009. He has worked as a firefighter and paramedic in various public and private roles. He later served as education coordinator for Maine EMS, a bureau within the Department of Public Safety for the State of Maine. During his seven years in that role, he worked to improve both initial and continuing education, collaborated on clinical protocols, and helped shape the rules used by EMS providers statewide. In 2019, he returned to SMCC—where his EMS journey began—and has since held multiple roles, including clinical coordinator, department chair and program director, contributing to local, state, and national advancements in EMS education.
The Governor’s Award is presented to someone who has made an exceptional contribution to the EMS system at the state, national and/or systemwide level. Recipients are recognized for their broad involvement across multiple areas of EMS, including system development, education, public service, administration and quality improvement. Each year, the Maine EMS Board nominates one individual to be considered by the Governor for this prestigious award.
This year, both the board and Governor Janet Mills agreed that Sheets was the clear choice.
“Don Sheets exemplifies the very best of Maine’s EMS community, steadfast in his commitment to education and service,” SMCC President Kristen Miller said. “His receipt of the Governor’s Award is a testament to his decades of leadership in EMS statewide and the profound impact he’s had on our students as the next generation of emergency responders. We are proud to have Don as part of the SMCC family and deeply grateful for his continued dedication to saving lives and strengthening Maine’s EMS system.”
Reflecting on the recognition, Sheets said, “This award feels like it belongs to the great teams that I have been a part of in my career and to the mentors who guided me along the way. EMS is a team sport, and I believe my experiences in my career before SMCC and while here represent this.”
He added, “We are fortunate as a state and as SMCC, along with the Maine Community College System, to have many people who are passionate about EMS, and I’m fortunate to work with many of them.”
Sheets has been a cornerstone of EMS education and advancement in Maine, and his legacy continues to shape the field through his work with students at SMCC and professionals across the state.
Visit smccME.edu/ems for more information about SMCC’s Emergency Medical Services program.