Amanda Wilkinson has been in EMS for 15 years and has worked in a variety of private and non-profit EMS settings. Amanda has been a Paramedic for 11 years, and devoted much of her career to public and EMS education. Paramedic Wilkinson is a NAEMSE-trained instructor, and serves as an assistant Paramedic Program instructor, as well as a regional Paramedic preceptor. Amanda also holds additional instructor certifications for PALS, ACLS, and BCLS. Amanda also previously served as a NHTSA car seat instructor. Amanda is a full-time mother of three children, ages 14, 9, and 7 years old.

After American Ambulance of Visalia doubled in size in a three-month period, the company was left without a training supervisor. Paramedic Wilkinson was selected as the training supervisor and appointed to be the company’s prehospital liaison officer for the region’s EMS system. Paramedic Wilkinson has worked tirelessly to raise the bar on training, documentation standards, and internal educational programs. American Ambulance of Visalia is proud to recognize Amanda Wilkinson as a 2017 Star of Life.

Richard Allan Buckles, Jr. was born and raised in Visalia, California. At a young age, Richard was introduced to sports, and he has played football and baseball his entire life. Richard attended local schools and excelled at playing baseball while in high school. He met his wife, Erin, while in middle school and got married in June of 2002. To support his wife, Richard aspired to do something in public safety. As a first step, he went to an EMT class at a local college, and in 2003, he started working as an EMT. Richard also spent a short time as a volunteer firefighter with the Tulare County

Richard started with American Ambulance in 2005. Since then, Richard has continued to excel. He has been involved in various programs within the company, and has taken on restocking, ordering, and even leading the process for the annual California Highway Patrol inspection.

He has also reached out this year to help with one of American Ambulance’s initiatives for senior citizens, Heart of Seniors, a program to promote cardiac health in women. Earlier this year, Richard and several paramedics from American Ambulance even served as volunteer “escorts” for the ladies attending the event at the local senior center. This program is growing and becoming more popular every year in the senior community.

Richard and Erin have two boys who are very active in sports. Richard spends his off-time coaching his sons’ All- Valley Youth Football and Cal Ripken Baseball teams.