Speaker Profile

Quinton “Q” Washington’s journey into emergency medical services began not in a classroom, but in the back of an ambulance. As a teenager growing up in one of South Florida’s toughest neighborhoods, he survived a drive-by shooting and witnessed firsthand the skill, professionalism and compassion of the paramedics who saved his life. That experience inspired him to dedicate his own life to serving others.

Washington began his EMS career as an EMT in 2003 and achieved his goal of becoming a paramedic in 2007. After relocating his family to Northeast Florida in 2017, he joined Century Ambulance, where he now serves as a Station Captain and Critical Care Paramedic on the TraumaOne Critical Care Ground Transport Team, a partnership between Century Ambulance, UF Health and TraumaOne that provides specialized transport for critically ill and injured patients throughout North Florida.

Over the course of his career, Washington has cared for patients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Reflecting on one of his most challenging calls involving two critically burned patients, he said, “I have never worked so hard, so fast and for so long to keep someone alive.”

In 2026, Washington became a published author with the release of The Weight of the Helmet: A Story of Brotherhood, Resilience, and Letting Go. Drawing on his experiences as a first responder, the book explores the unseen emotional burdens carried by paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, nurses, law enforcement officers and other emergency professionals while encouraging healing, resilience and hope.

Having once been the patient whose life depended on the people in the ambulance, Washington now dedicates his career to being that person for others, whether responding to critical emergencies, mentoring fellow first responders or sharing the lessons of his own journey.