We are proud of our NAEMT members and the important service they provide to communities. It is our honor to highlight them. "Member Spotlight" is a feature of NAEMT News, a quarterly newsletter created especially for our members. We are pleased to share it with you.



Terry Bottjen, Paramedic, Painter and Pastor
An EMT and paramedic for 39 years, Terry Bottjen is among the nation’s most experienced – and eclectic – EMS practitioners. When he’s not answering emergency calls in rural South Dakota, Bottjen can be found serving as a pastor in his church or running his art gallery, where he’s known as “the Lightning Artist.” “I’m one of the fastest artists in the world. I can paint a 4-by-2 foot landscape in 20 minutes,” Bottjen says.

Bottjen’s work as a traveling artist helped launch his career in EMS. While driving around the country demonstrating speed painting at state fairs, malls and motorcycle rallies, he came across lots of car wrecks. He wanted to be better equipped to help the injured.

Read more  |  Watch “the Lightening Artist” paint a landscape in under 5 minutes!