Nicholas “Nick” Spencer joined Bell Ambulance in 2021 and quickly made a positive impact. Awarded the Employee of the Year in 2022 by his colleagues, his influence was clear. Rising to the role of EMT Field Training Officer, Nick focused on sharing knowledge, often mentoring EMT students in the cadet program.

Staff members appreciate Nick for his willingness to help and educate. His commitment to learning stands out, and he’s always ready to face challenges head-on.

On a personal note, Nick’s longstanding bond with his wife, dating back to their childhood, speaks to his steadfast nature. His service as a youth pastor further enriches his community as well.

Bell Ambulance is proud to honor Nick Spencer as a 2023 Star of Life.

Since joining Bell Ambulance in 2021, Quentin Nation has time and again demonstrated his leadership and commitment to the field. He played a vital role in an innovative collaboration with the Milwaukee Fire Department, helping staff ambulances at firehouses. This dedication to caring for Milwaukee residents earned him the honor of being chosen as the 2021 Employee of the Year by his peers.

Quentin’s expertise was put into practice when he successfully delivered several babies, further affirming his capability and passion. Rising to the role of EMT Field Training Officer, he now ensures that the next generation of EMS providers receive top-tier training.

Quentin’s work is deeply personal. He proudly carries forward the legacy of his mother, who served as a Bell Ambulance EMT two decades ago. Quentin’s unwavering commitment to service and mobile healthcare makes him a standout Star of Life.

After graduating high school, Russell Johnston attended UW-Milwaukee to become a physical therapist. After a year, Russell was not sure that was the path for him, though he knew he wanted to help people. He decided to leave UW-M and enter into the firefighter program at his local technical college. There he enrolled in an EMT course and, after its completion, decided that EMS was the career path for him.

Russell began his EMS career with Bell Ambulance in 2008. After a few years of ambulance work in Milwaukee, Russell became an EMT Crew Chief. He next joined Bell Ambulance and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Critical Care Transport team. Through his hard work, dedication, and ever-present positive demeanor, Russell became a highly valued member of the transport team. He also advanced to the position of EMT Supervisor, which he excelled at and quickly garnered a positive reputation as a supervisor and caregiver. Russell has the ability to establish a good rapport with both patients and employees, while always maintaining the highest degree of professionalism. As a result, Russell was asked to take on a new challenge within the Client Services Department as a liaison between the company and its facility clients. Soon after, he became the Client Services Supervisor, and, in 2020, was again promoted to Client Services Coordinator.

In his personal life, Russell cares for his rescued English bulldog, Tilly, and gives back by both coaching and refereeing high school powerlifting at the local, state, and even national levels. In fact, Russell is a two-time Powerlifting State Champion!

Russell was voted Employee of the Year and Star of Life in 2019 by his peers.

Noelle Gross will often joke around about the fact that she is short, but she is proof that big things come in small packages and can make a HUGE impact!

Noelle came to Bell Ambulance as an EMT in the fall of 2016. She earned her Paramedic license in 2017, obtained her Critical Care certification through UMBC in 2018, was promoted to Field Training Officer in 2019, and then to Paramedic Supervisor in 2020.

Noelle continues to perform in her role as a Critical Care Paramedic doing ground transfers. She also works in the 911 system in Southeast Wisconsin and has completed the requirements to be a Secondary Dispatcher in the ACE Dispatch Center. She has taken on an additional role as an AHA BLS/ACLS/PALS Instructor, frequently teaching and helping her coworkers with their renewals. Noelle also helps to train new Paramedics and Critical Care Paramedics and is involved with the Education and Training Department. As a Supervisor, she has proven herself to be a dependable and “go-to” person for employees to talk with about calls, any issues they may have, and any problems they may face.

As a result of her constant commitment to her job, her patients, and her colleagues, Noelle was voted by her peers to be Bell Ambulance’s 2020 Employee of the Year.

Noelle and her boyfriend live in West Allis, Wisconsin with their two dogs, Copper and Lady.

Timothy Couillard joined Bell Ambulance as a Critical Care Paramedic in November of 2010. Since joining the team, Tim has dedicated himself to sharing knowledge with less experienced mobile healthcare providers.

Tim excels in all facets of EMS but has a special passion for teaching. It didn’t take long for Bell to recognize this talent, and he was soon promoted to the rank of Field Training Officer, a role he quickly embraced. In addition to mentoring new EMTs and Paramedics, Tim teaches CPR, ACLS, and PALS to most of the Bell Ambulance staff. In 2016, Tim’s capable leadership earned him a promotion to Supervisor. Never complacent, Tim also became an EMD-certified dispatcher in 2017.

When not serving at Bell, Tim enjoys family time with his wife, Toni; his three daughters, Sierra, Julie and Lily; and his two dogs, Otto and Ranger. Tim is also an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hunting, fishing, and time on his 4-wheeler.

In addition to receiving numerous Service Awards over the years, Tim was honored with the 2018 Bell Ambulance Employee of the Year Award. Now, we are proud and excited to celebrate Tim as a 2019 Star of Life.

Elisabeth “Lis” Handgraaf earned her degree in athletic training then worked as a trainer for local schools. But while Lis enjoyed the work, she always felt she could be doing more. 

Lis decided to join the fire department, then she breezed through EMT school and got her Paramedic license at Lakeshore Technical College. 

Before long, she was promoted to lieutenant on the fire department, and she began working in EMS full-time. Lis was promoted again on the fire department, this time to captain, and shortly after that to EMS director.  

In 2016 Lis joined Bell Ambulance and earned her Critical Care through UMBC. She now routinely does Critical Care ground transfers and also works in the 911 system in Southeast Wisconsin.

She was promoted to Field Training Officer quickly, and has taken on numerous projects, including protocol rewrites, oversight of multiple patient simulation trainings, and development of a new driver training course.

In 2017 Lis was voted the Bell Ambulance Employee of the Year by her peers. 

Lis never shies away from the opportunity to teach and often falls back on her years of athletic training to explain cases of trauma, skeletal-muscular injuries, and head and spinal injuries. 

Lis and her husband Richard live in Fox Point, Wisconsin, and are the proud parents of Dottie, their rascally blue-tick coonhound.

David Mikec came to Bell Ambulance in 2014 as a seasoned Critical Care Paramedic. Dave immediately gained respect from his coworkers and it only took him a year to win his first Employee of the Year award in 2015.  He won Employee of the Year again in 2019. Since that time, Dave has worked his way through the ranks and is now a Supervisor with the company and has aspirations of management in the future. Dave is well known for bringing his calm, level-headed demeanor into any stressful situation. 

During the Pandemic, Dave was a resource for PPE, hygiene and cleaning questions and concerns. He was a shoulder to lean on during the stressful times all the caregivers experienced over the last couple of years. Dave also worked at Fort McCoy as part of Operations Allies Welcome providing treatment and transport to our Afghan refugees. Dave is a jack of all trades. He tends to take people under his wing to help develop them to their fullest potential, and he also takes the time to work with the EMT-Basics to educate them, and help push them toward a career as a Paramedic.  

Stephen Colwell has worked for Bell Ambulance for the last ten years as an EMT- Basic. Stephen began his career with Bell providing care as an EMT for southeastern Wisconsin, primarily in the City of Milwaukee. For the last few years, Stephen
has worked as an EMT Crew Chief with Bell Ambulance in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Critical Care Transport Team to provide care and transportation to various hospitals throughout Wisconsin.

Bell Ambulance prides itself in giving excellent patient care and instilling in our employees our four operating priorities of Competency, Courtesy, Safety and Efficiency. From day one, Stephen has excelled in making sure our clients receive the best possible patient care and overall experience. This is evident in the numerous service awards he has received.

Stephen possesses the ability to positively interact with anyone. Whether it is co-worker or patient, Stephen makes them feel welcome and lets them know that they are important to him. Everyone that crosses paths with Stephen appreciates meeting and getting to know him.

Stephen served in the United States Army from 2002–2010 where he progressed to the rank of Sergeant. From 2004–2005 Stephen was deployed to Afghanistan. During his deployment, Stephen was the sole medic at the scene of a Humvee accident where he was responsible for triaging and caring for multiple soldiers until additional help arrived. This earned Stephen the Army Commendation Medal, an honor bestowed for heroism and meritorious service.

It is for the reasons above, coupled with Stephen’s outstanding work ethic and his efforts to make his workplace the best possible, that he is deserving of the Stars of Life award in 2016. We are proud to say that Stephen is an employee of Bell Ambulance.