EMS responders honored for service

KENNETT SQUARE >> EMS personnel save lives every day, but sometimes, their efforts and the outcomes go beyond the ordinary. Saving a life in a dire situation or bringing a new life into the world before a mother can reach a hospital are events that deserve an extra measure of recognition.

The Chester County EMS Council held its 13th annual

EMS Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, at the Red Clay Room. Over 300 people attended the event, with the theme “EMS Strong – Always in Service.”

The event coincided with National EMS Week May 2127. County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, on behalf of all the Commissioners read a proclamation for EMS Week, acknowledging the important work done by EMT’s, Paramedics and the entire emergency services

community.

“It’s nice to be able to thank our providers for doing what they do every day,” Council President Keith Johnson said. “A lot of people say, ‘you’re giving an award for doing their job’. Yes, but it’s not just sitting behind a desk. It’s a job where we potentially put our lives on the line every day, bringing care to the public. It’s good to be able to say ‘thank you’ to them.”

Johnson was also a recipient of one of the major awards, the Nicholas H.S. Campbell Meritorious Service Award for EMS Leadership. “Nicholas Campbell was actually my mentor. That is who I grew and learned under, who taught me much of what I know and how to do what I do. It’s quite an honor for me to receive an award in his name,” Johnson said.

One of the major awards of the year is the Medal of Valor, this year presented to nine individuals for two heroic lifesaving incidents.

Malvern Ladder 4 members

Mark Scanlon, Alexander McCarthy and Neil Vaughn were recognized for their actions during a house fire, while Michael Borello, Cpt. Greg Stone, Sgt. Joseph Burt, Sgt. Brian Griesser, Off. Robert Edwards and Off. Wesley Holman were honored for their response at the scene of a West Chester area traffic accident.

“There was a car accident where we ended up lifting the car off a girl, physically picking it up, and then got her to the hospital, a very critical patient,” said Mark Borello, a paramedic with Medic 91 based from Chester County Hospital. “There was a lot of complicated stuff going on. She survived which is a good thing.”

Borello was also one of many recipients of a Critical Save Commendation. Certificates went to 152 providers who saved the lives of 35 individuals who were pulseless or apneic.

“Those are cardiac arrests, pre-hospital, that we have resuscitated and (af-

ter hospital care) have gone back to a relatively normal way of life,” Borello said. He explained that the national average for success in such cases is only about 14 to 17 percent, but the statistics for Chester County are 20 to 27 percent success.

Commendations for Life Saving Clinical Excellence were also given to 20 EMS providers for saving the

lives of five patients showing signs of imminent danger of death.

Another group of commendations was presented to 11 providers for their work in five pre-hospital deliveries, where births occurred before the mother could reach the hospital.

Special awards included BLS Practitioner of the Year – Nicholas Melchiorre; ALS Practitioner of the Year Amanda Baker; Distinguished Provider award – Thomas Amico; Telecommunicator of the year –

William McLimans; EMS Educator of the year James Regan; Distinguished Service Award - Washington Hose Company no. 1; President’s Award - Andrew O’Donnell and Tammy Whiteman; and the Margaret Hoover Brigham Award – Judith Kaplan.

The presentation of these awards not only recognizes the individuals for their work, but it helps inform the community of the high level of service they provide.

“I think the public doesn’t understand what we do as an EMS,” Borello said. “They don’t understand the difference between a first responder, versus a paramedic, versus an EMT. They just don’t understand the responsibility we carry.”

Borello has been in this field for 22 years. He credits God foremost, and his mother, a nurse, for helping direct him to this career. “I was an athlete growing up, so I received a lot of care,” he said. “When my athletic career was ended, I had to come up with a career and medicine was where it was; I did not think I was smart enough to do it, but God said ‘yeah you are.’”

A special Citizens Award was also given to Mason Baer, who followed directions over the phone to perform CPR on his father, who had been found unresponsive in bed. The award was also presented to nursing students Taylor England, Allison Keeports, Melissa Robinson, Angela Peterson, Sarah Fryberger and Kalli Krier who responded rapidly when a fellow student suffered a heart attack.