About Us
Where the Name Comes From
Salus is the Latin word for safety, health, and well-being. In Roman mythology, Salus was the goddess of exactly that, public and personal welfare, and by extension, health itself. It felt like the right name for a business built around helping EMT students prepare to keep other people safe.
Meet Sal
Sal the Salamander
Mascot & Salamander
Josh has always loved the outdoors, and Florida's wildlife made a lasting impression, salamanders included. The connection between "Salus" and "salamander" was too good to pass up, so the mascot is modeled after Florida's Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), one of the state's rarer natives.
Sal the Salamander joined Salus Academic Solutions in an entirely decorative capacity and has strong opinions about flashcards (despite not having hands to hold them). Fun fact: salamanders can regrow lost limbs, which Sal considers extremely on-brand for a business built around growing prehospital providers. Sal's qualifications are unclear but morale is generally up when he's around.
Meet Your Tutor
Josh Austin
Founder & Tutor
Hi, I'm Josh, the Founder of Salus Academic Solutions (and its first tutor!)
I'm an NREMT-certified EMT, Florida licensed EMT, and Wilderness EMT with a B.A. in Psychology, currently working in the field as an EMT Driver. Before EMS, I spent seven years in the Army, including a deployment to Kosovo working in military intelligence, but my first love was always education. My mom was a teacher, so I essentially grew up in the classroom. I developed a love for learning, which developed into a passion for teaching. I started tutoring EMT students at Santa Fe College, finished my own EMT-B certification in December 2025, and have been tutoring independently since February 2026.
My hobbies include reading, playing video games, hiking and spending time outdoors, hanging out with my wife at Swamphead, chilling with my cats, and photography.
Whatever brought you here, I'm glad you found your way to this page. I'm happy to help you however I can. You can reach me here.
