Brad Sparks’ commitment to safety is credited for averting a possibly unfavorable situation.

During what was supposed to be a routine flight returning to base, Brad alerted the pilot that he was well below the established minimums for the instrument approach, which resulted in the pilot performing a go-around procedure and climbing out of the clouds. After the pilot initiated the procedure, he successfully landed the aircraft at a nearby airport.

As the base safety representative, Brad was able to quickly identify the issue, make a recommendation and save the crew from a potentially bad outcome.

During a mountain rescue call, Jay Shintaku responded to an emergency where a person had been thrown from a horse and suffered a severe, uncontrolled head bleed after hitting a rock.

Upon arriving at the scene via the sheriff’s department’s helicopter, Jay quickly began administering treatment and realized the severity of the patient’s condition. He convinced the pilot to fly directly to the trauma center due to the urgent nature of the situation. The patient was at risk of bleeding out and had multiple fractured vertebrae, making any delay in transport or transfer of helicopters potentially fatal.

 Thanks to Jay’s swift and persuasive action, the patient received timely medical attention and survived the ordeal, with the hope of one day riding horses again.

When a premature baby, born at 27 weeks’ gestation, was in respiratory distress, Dakota Shadwell’s expertise and training on the Bubble CPAP helped save the infant’s life.

It happened when Dakota and his partner, Kelly Hamill, were called to help a patient who had been taken to a local emergency department in a rural area that did not specialize in obstetric or neonatal care.

Once there, Dakota and Kelly delivered excellent patient care to not just one, but two patients—the mother and her baby—until additional specialty help arrived. The baby, who weighed just two pounds, would go on to receive additional care from a ground pediatric specialty team while Dakota and Kelly transported the mother by air to another regional health facility.

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.

Putting others above himself, Randall Roberson’s commitment to serving his community was on full display when historic flooding ravaged Eastern Kentucky.

On one evening in late July 2022, Randall was on duty as flood waters began rising. It quickly became clear to him that it was no longer safe for his family to remain in their home. Randall’s supervisor approached him and told him he should probably go home and be with his family, he replied that his family was in a safe place, but that other families might not be so lucky. He asked to continue helping those community members who were not as fortunate.

Although Randall and his family ended up losing everything they owned, he remained steadfast in his duties and lived at the station for more than two weeks, taking every opportunity to help that he could.

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.

Jesse Mascarenas proved to be a true hero when he helped save a critically injured hiker at the risk of his own safety. In May of 2022, Jesse and his partner, Flight Medic Jason Burns, responded to a call to help the hiker, who fell 200 feet down a mountain slope in cold and rainy weather. The patient was severely hurt and suffered cardiac arrest while Jason and Jesse were treating and rescuing him.

The two EMS professionals were eventually able to stabilize the patient until the individual could be flown to the nearest Level I trauma center. Although the patient lost a leg, the individual today is working toward a full recovery, even exercising on a prosthetic leg.

Daniel Lee distinguished himself through courage and skill by going beyond the call of duty to rescue his fellow crew members after the unthinkable happened.

On an afternoon in May 2022, Lee picked up a shift on an AL3 Klamath helicopter to help out his team and keep the aircraft in service. He, along with a newly hired registered nurse, a respiratory therapist, and the pilot had completed one call. While sitting on the helipad, the team was dispatched to another hospital. Arriving at the scene, the aircraft lost stability and crashed.

Lee reacted quickly and pulled all remaining crew members from the damaged aircraft. He triaged his peers based on acuity, started IVs on everyone, and gave medications as appropriate. He continued to care for and advocate for his team, even though he was also injured. He made sure everyone had help and insisted on staying with the newest team member to make her feel safe.

His quick thinking and expertise saved lives that day.

Matthew Kohl’s supervisors recognize him as an ultra-professional Paramedic who has rapidly risen through the ranks. In 2016, he was at the EMT level. He became AMR Evansville’s first-ever EMT-level Field Training Officer as that role had previously been reserved only for Paramedics. By 2020, he was graduating from Paramedic school, with a degree, in the middle of a pandemic, as the overall college Outstanding Graduate. Throughout his meteoric career, he has shown deft skill in trauma care, exemplified by his actions in January of this year.

Matthew responded to a scene where a nine-year-old child had been hit by a motor vehicle. The patient had multiple injuries and was in extreme pain. The scene time was only six minutes. Care during patient contact included spinal motion restriction, oxygen, IV access, and appropriate pediatric analgesia as well as patient monitoring. The time from dispatch to arrival at the Level II trauma center was 15 minutes.

Matthew’s patient care was lauded as “perfect” upon review by the trauma center, and the patient is recovering after multiple surgeries.

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.

Commitment to patient care and service are just a couple of reasons why William “Andy” Hardy has received local, state, and national awards.

As a paramedic since 2014 with AMR, Andy strives to provide the highest standard of patient care and goes above and beyond to ensure his patients receive the medical attention they need while treating them with the utmost respect. He also draws upon his experience to bring valuable ideas to the attention of AMR leaders, providing insight on how to improve operational excellence and patient experiences. He also acts as a mentor for his fellow team members while constantly striving to add to his own skills and capabilities, as well. Andy is a role model for every employee and leads by example.

As a lifelong resident of McMinn County, Andy has dedicated his life to local emergency services. From starting as a volunteer firefighter to obtaining his EMT and Paramedic licenses, he has spent thousands of hours of personal time bettering his community, including volunteering with the McMinn County Rescue Squad and Helen Ross McNabb Foster Center.

Kelly Hamill is being honored for her impressive ability to pivot the focus of her care and successfully utilize her training on a new lifesaving technology for infants.

Kelly’s dedication and flexibility were recently demonstrated when she and her partner were dispatched to a rural hospital for what they thought was a call for a mobile EMS response for an adult female transport. However, they ended up providing care and resuscitating a baby as well.

Kelly and her partner, Dakota Shadwell, worked together to stabilize both the mother and the baby, who was born prematurely at 27 weeks’ gestation and weighed only two pounds. They utilized Bubble CPAP technology designed specifically for such small and fragile patients. Their skillful employment of this new advanced system allowed the baby to go from a distressed respiratory condition to a stable one.

The pair then continued to treat the baby, increasing blood glucose, attempting UVC, and obtaining peripheral IV access. They stayed with the baby until a ground pediatric specialty team arrived, then transported the mother by air to another regional hospital.

For Karina Galvez-Martinez’s North Las Vegas supervisors, she truly embodies the EMS mission of providing care to the world at a moment’s notice. Karina, who began her career as an EMT, is now a Paramedic. Her ever-increasing skills have prepared her to intervene in medical situations even while off duty.

Such was the case earlier this year when Karina was at home at about 4:30 a.m. That is when her neighbor’s husband knocked on her door for medical assistance. Karina rushed over to the house and found the neighbor’s wife not breathing and incapacitated. Finding the patient pulseless, Karina immediately started manual chest compressions, taking critical actions as the first link in the chain of patient survival.

She continued her vigorous efforts while 911 was called. Responding AMR teams were able to take over and the patient’s pulse was restored before arrival at the local hospital. There is no doubt that Karina’s actions saved her neighbor’s life.

Demonstrating that EMS, at times, requires more than medical skill to save lives, Sean Fuller is being honored for his actions when dispatched to a suicide attempt. Fuller’s supervisors highlighted the humanity that Sean brought to a situation that is often tense and difficult for patients and first responders alike.

By coincidence, Sean recognized the emotionally fragile patient’s home as formerly belonging to the family of one of his childhood friends. While providing medical treatment, he helped the patient stabilize with stories of the times he had spent there, which had proved to be a blessing in Sean’s life. By the end of the transport, the patient was not only calm, but was laughing along with Sean, when mere minutes before the patient had been holding a suicide note and threatening to harm themselves.

Upon arrival at the hospital, staff determined that restraints were no longer needed. They were then able to provide continued care in a de-escalated environment, which was better for everyone.

Marlon Flanders embodies EMS excellence through his hard work, perseverance, and passion.

Marlon joined GMR Trinidad and Tobago in September 2013. Since then, he has been an inspiring force among his teammates. His leaders describe him as a dedicated EMS professional who is always willing to mentor new teammates as well as current ones.

A role model to many, Marlon possesses an attitude of leadership, constantly seeking ways to share his knowledge and experience. He is always ready to help others grow and develop their own EMS skills, as well as to improve the quality of care given to his patients. It was no surprise to his team when he promoted to the supervisory team in 2016.

Marlon’s commitment to providing excellent emergent care is a true reflection of his enthusiasm for serving his community on this dual-island Caribbean nation.

In early October 2022, Rick Fikes and his partner responded to a call that a person at a group home was choking while eating a meal.

Upon arriving at the scene, a firefighter with the local department was already visualizing the patient’s airway. The firefighter told Rick the patient’s airway was full of pasta and that he could not clear it. Rick verified the patient’s airway could not be cleared, then performed a surgical cricothyrotomy on the patient. This quick thinking and clinical skill resulted in him achieving temporary return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The patient was an organ donor, so the procedure performed by Fikes ultimately saved many lives.

Rick was commended by everyone in the emergency department, including the physician, for performing this intricate surgical procedure in the field.

Victoria England is proud to specialize in providing care to neonatal and pediatric patients. Her love for her job is what led her to volunteer to lead the effort to help the youngest of patients receive the best care possible during Hurricane Ian.

Described by her leaders as an “integral source of knowledge and experience for all clinicians in the Northern California bases,” Victoria strives for excellence in her career, never shying away from a challenge. While she has focused her attention on serving neonatal and pediatric patients, she decided to increase her span of care when she moved from REACH 3 in Concord to REACH 17 in Mather. Here, she now cares for patients of all ages and levels of acuity.

Victoria always maintains a positive attitude and continuously demonstrates a passion for helping her organization in any capacity necessary.

Zach Dayton provided immediate medical intervention for a woman and her newborn baby who was born in a car at a parking lot. His resuscitation efforts and quick thinking ultimately saved the baby’s life.

On an afternoon in late April 2022, when Zach was walking his gurney out to the ambulance bay in Mesa, Zach noticed a frantic woman pounding on the glass doors of the ambulance entrance to Banner Gateway Emergency Department.

When he approached the woman, she led him to another woman in a nearby parking lot who was giving birth in a car. Zach immediately cared for the young mother and performed CPR on the newborn before rushing to the staff at the hospital, informing them of the mother and baby’s condition.

As a result, the mother and baby received the medical care they needed and were released a short time later, both in healthy condition, thanks primarily to Zach’s quick action.

Preston Crotwell is being honored for his leadership and service at a mass shooting incident that happened last April at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival. Preston and his partner were at the weekend event, serving as standby EMS, when gunshots rang out at the fairgrounds. Preston, a former Marine Corps rifleman, quickly took charge, collaborating with law enforcement while tending to the injured. One person was killed and at least six more were shot that day.

Preston, who served as the lead for managing the mass casualty incident, collaborated with his partner in performing all the roles of EMS command. They ensured swift and effective patient triage and treatment and led some mobile EMS interventions as well.

A well-spoken EMS professional who is highly adaptable, especially in stressful situations, Preston is a dedicated first responder who puts others first. He is an inspiration to his teammates and leaders.

Ian Carroll is being honored for his bravery and skill in two separate situations—one involving a patient whose vehicle fell into a river and another involving a patient injured in a mining truck accident.

The first incident happened when Ian was off duty, sitting in his car at an intersection. That is when he saw another vehicle run through that same intersection and into the nearby river. Ian quickly left his car, jumped into the river, and pulled the driver out of the sinking vehicle and onto the shore. He then stabilized the patient as more help arrived.

In the other situation, Ian entered a crashed haul vehicle and administered blood products to an injured driver whose leg was bleeding profusely. While fire personnel worked to extricate the individual from the truck, Ian realized more blood was needed, so he called for another AEL aircraft to deliver additional supplies. That decision was a critical factor in helping save both the patient’s leg and life.