Congratulations to Bill Powell, Levittown Chamber of Commerce 2023 Small Businessperson of the Year
Bill Powell has almost 50 years of experience in the first responder field. He took his wealth of experience and knowledge and founded William J. Powell Associates, LLC (WJPA). WJPA offers specialized training for first responders, laypersons, and medical personnel. Some of the training offered is Active Shooter, Hazardous Material, Public Safety Sampling, CPR, first aid, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Life Support as well as consulting on safety and security issues.
Bill started out as an electrician and auto & truck mechanic with his interest moving toward being a first responder when he became a volunteer firefighter. Bill started both firefighting and emergency medical training. He quickly moved through advanced training and became a paramedic as well as an instructor for all of the programs he teaches.
In 1979, Bill started to work within the NYC-EMS system and is currently a member of the Credentialing and Certifying Committee, which sets the standards for Paramedics and EMTs. Bill was also Regional Faculty and a Program Coordinator for the NYS Department of Health, responsible for conducting instructor training and recertification programs, auditing instructors as well as mentoring. He ran paramedic training programs at New York Hospital Queens for 20 years, certifying new EMT’s and paramedics and renewing their certifications. Bill also taught doctors, physician assistants, and nurses to keep their Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification up to date as well as their Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification, all required in order to work in hospitals.
In addition to his work in EMS, Bill served as a police officer for 20 years working for the NYPD, assigned to the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and later in the NCPD where he was a Certified NYS Bureau of Municipal Police Instructor and an ESU instructor in both NYPD and NCPD. After suffering a career-ending injury while working as a police officer, Bill retired in 2001.
Bill is the 1st Vice President of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce where he serves on a number of committees. In addition, Bill is the President of the International Police Association – USA Section, Region 5-Nassau County.
Bill is a long-time resident of Levittown where he lives with his wife Maddie, who has been his supporter, advisor, and friend for over 40 years. They have a son, Michael, who is married and is a software engineer.