# NDSCS *Professional & B2B · 2026 Class · Faces of Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo* > Canonical URL: https://facesoffargo.com/article/2026/face-of-high-tech-education-ndscs > Published: 2026-08-17 Professional & B2B feature from the 2026 Class of Faces of Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo. --- ## Emergency Medical Services Education Instructor Ron Lawler As Program Director since 2014, Ron Lawler leads the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education team at the NDSCS Career Innovation Center (CIC) in helping reshape how students prepare for college, careers, and the evolving needs of North Dakota employers. Leading a partnership between Sanford Health and NDSCS, Ron and all his staff are full-time employees of Sanford Ambulance and are also NDSCS Faculty. They combine for decades of experience in EMS and continue to work ambulance shifts around their teaching duties. They bring that real world experience into the classroom. As part of its workforce efforts, Sanford will be starting its fourth year of a paramedic apprenticeship program. Employees, some of whom started as high school dual credit students to get their EMT, are paid to attend classes, labs, and clinical time in pursuit of their paramedic degree and national certification. This has been a huge success in providing Sanford Ambulance with NDSCS-educated paramedics to fill out its workforce needs. Lawler and the entire EMS team work closely with educators and industry partners like Sanford Health to ensure coursework reflects real workforce needs. That collaboration gives students opportunities to explore careers earlier and build relationships with potential employers before graduation. The dual credit high school programs, in collaboration with Cass County Career and Technical Education Center (C3TEC), are growing and building more excitement in the schools for EMS. The combined Sanford/NDSCS EMS program produces from 150-200 EMT’s and 20-25 paramedics every year. It is the largest EMS school between Minneapolis and Seattle. Fargo’s CIC was created through a partnership between the North Dakota State College of Science and regional school districts, including Fargo, West Fargo, Northern Cass, and Central Cass. Together, those partners are making career-focused education more accessible while creating clearer pathways from high school to college and employment. At the CIC, learning extends far beyond traditional lectures. College and high school students develop practical skills through laboratories, technical training, industry mentorship, internships, and job-shadowing opportunities. Programming is designed around high-demand fields such as allied health (including NDSCS’s nursing and EMS/EMT programs), IT, agriculture, construction trades, computer science, and general education. By bringing schools, colleges, and employers together under one roof, area education leaders like Ron Lawler, C3TEC, and the CIC are creating opportunities that will benefit students and make our communities stronger. ### NDSCS 4230 64th Ave S Fargo, ND 58104 [(701) 231-6900](tel:+17012316900) [ndscs.edu](https://ndscs.edu) --- ## Contact **NDSCS** 4230 64th Ave S, Fargo, ND, 58104 Phone: +1-701-231-6900 Website: https://ndscs.edu