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For Tyler Wooten, being a paramedic is a calling and a path he jumped right into after high school.

In fact it was the day after he graduated from high school that he started EMT training in 2020. He now works out of the Port Arthur station.

“I was going to school and clinicals and absolutely fell in love with it,” Wooten said. “I saw Acadian had an opening for a driver for in-town and out-of-town transfers and thought it was a good way to cut my teeth.”

Wooten wasn’t a driver for long. He took the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam and was promoted to EMT. While going through EMT training, he decided he wanted to become a paramedic.

“It was something I felt from an extremely young age. I did a lot of praying about it and felt this is where God was calling me to be,” Wooten said. “I pretty much dove in head first.”

Edward Burleigh, Acadian Ambulance Service operations manager for the Southeast Texas District, had good words to say about Wooten.

“Tyler is always in a good mood with a smile on his face,” Burleigh said. “He shows great compassion towards his patients and provides the highest level of care possible.”

The job of a paramedic can be challenging as well as fulfilling.

“I’ve always felt my calling in life was to serve and to give back to my community and be selfless. To always want to help others, to always want to do something in public service and help people,” Wooten said.

In the years he has been with Acadian, he said, he’s learned a lot, such as life lessons and actual knowledge to use to better treat patients.

“One of things I try to live by is that everybody deserves the same level of compassion and care that I would want my family to have,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, you still get the best possible care I can provide. I’m not here to do anything but provide the best patient care and be compassionate to everyone.”

Wooten said he’s often asked the same question.

“Everybody always asks, how do you like our job? You must see a lot of crazy stuff,’” he said. “It’s a great job and I wouldn’t change it for anything. This is what I feel is my calling. I’m a very religious person and I do a lot of praying. I would not change my job for anything in the world. It is a rewarding job. I’m not going to lie; there are some hard things we have to do. It’s a hard job but it is rewarding. It is fantastic and I absolutely love it.”

Acadian Ambulance began operations in 1971 covering Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Acadian now services more than 70 counties and parishes throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee, according to information from Acadian.

The local branch of Acadian covers all 911 responses in Southeast Texas except for Sour lake, Lumberton, Beaumont and a small portion of Vidor.