Archives: Stars

A critical thinker who knows how to act fast, Riley Wolfe’s intuition and EMS skills saved multiple lives while on a late-night shift when he and his crew came upon a traffic collision on the freeway.

The crash involved a driver who was trapped and unconscious in a car that was on fire and rapidly spreading. Riley, his student, and his partner quickly made entry to the vehicle. Fortunately, the crew and patient were able to escape harm as the car exploded. The crew then triaged the other passengers in the vehicles and simultaneously treated their patient, who they rapidly moved away from the blaze and into the back of the ambulance.

Riley remained calm and directed the additional resources to the other vehicles involved and told them the best place to stage to ensure everyone’s safety. Once additional AMR resources arrived, Riley and his team transported their patient to the local trauma center before any other public safety resources arrived on scene. Thanks to Riley’s dedication and skill, the patient ultimately survived.

Hiram Sanchez demonstrated extraordinary courage and skill during a routine call that turned out to be anything but, on a night in mid-December 2022.

While en route during a patient transfer, Hiram came upon a traffic collision involving three cars; no other emergency vehicles were on scene. Hiram quickly identified four patients, one who was unconscious and gasping for breath. Hiram then immediately grabbed the airway equipment bag and returned to provide patient ventilation.

San Mateo County communications were alerted, and additional resources were requested. Approximately two minutes later, Hiram returned to the ambulance to obtain the fire extinguisher because one of the victims was trapped in a car while the car adjacent was on fire. Hiram then positioned himself on the passenger side of the vehicle, closest to the fire, and used his body as a shield to protect the patient and a citizen who offered to help. The patient was quickly pulled from the car and away from danger.

Hiram’s management of this scene ensured the safety of the victims and bystanders and directly resulted in the patient being freed from the vehicle, likely saving their life. Hiram has also been nominated for a California EMSA EMS Medal of Valor for his heroic actions during this response.

Stephanie Nocita is admired and respected by her co-workers and the leadership team alike for her ability to quickly assess a medical condition and for her skills that enable her to provide the needed intervention in critical situations. These characteristics were clearly on display in two recent circumstances: one involving a newborn and the other an individual in a busy shopping area.

Stephanie and her partner resuscitated a 17-day baby with a congenital heart defect who had gone into cardiac arrest. The newborn underwent heart surgery and made a full recovery.

Then, in early September 2022, she successfully helped resuscitate a person who collapsed at a crowded shopping plaza in Carmel. In that situation, a bystander and two police officers began CPR until Stephanie and her partner arrived and took over the care until more help arrived.

On the way to the hospital, the patient regained a pulse and was eventually discharged after making a full recovery. The patient later came back to visit Stephanie and the others who had helped them survive their medical ordeal.

Fidencio Hernandez enjoys building relationships between AMR and his community by organizing local, healthcare-oriented workshops and events.

Throughout his EMS career, Fidencio has demonstrated a dedication to public health efforts through his outreach and engagement efforts. He has collaborated with the local Latino community by providing educational seminars including Stop the Bleed as well as events about public access to and use of the nasal spray Narcan. His efforts have led to the enhancement of local participation in the learning of critical lifesaving skills.

Fidencio has also brought important community health information to members of both English- and Spanish-speaking communities. He has accomplished this by providing bilingual education to ensure the greatest number of community members can benefit.

Additionally, in his role as Field Training Officer, his years of experience and endless positivity provide an excellent learning environment for new hires. He is called upon to impart his knowledge often to offset staffing shortages, preparing new EMTs for their vitally important role in the community.