Patrick joined the EMS community in 1993 with an Advanced First Aid certification. Due to a traumatic event, he took a step away from EMS. In 2009 he became an EMT and has forged ahead in his EMS career and is currently the squad leader for the Maddock Ambulance. Presently he is an EVOC instructor, CPR instructor and is taking the leadership academy courses offered through the North Dakota EMS Association. Pat has been a northeast director for the North Dakota EMS Association for the past year and is a committee chair as well as a member of the advocacy committee. He has provided testimony in Bismarck on behalf of EMS and is very active in the legislative process. Pat received the 2013 EMS Provider of the Year and according to the service that nominated him; “He is a natural leader for EMS in North Dakota and they are proud to nominate him for the provider of the year.”

Marcy Dawson is a registered nurse and a Paramedic, and she has worked in emergency nursing for most of her career.

She has worked at Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin and at both Medcenter One (now Sanford Health) in Bismarck and St. Alexius Emergency Room, and she was a flight nurse when both hospitals shared a helicopter.

Marcy has a total of 16 years of flying experience. She managed Angel Air Care and was nurse manager for Minot Air Medical, which was part of Bismarck Air Medical. Marcy has also volunteered with Carson Ambulance, and she did critical care transport from the Elgin Hospital to Bismarck with New Leipzig/ Elgin ambulance.

Currently Marcy is a flight nurse with Sanford AirMed, Dickinson Base. She volunteers for both Hebron and New Salem, and she is an EMS instructor with Sanford EMS Education in Bismarck. She is certified in emergency nursing, flight nursing, and trauma nursing.

In 2017, Marcy was awarded EMS Provider of the Year by the NDEMSA.

Jan Samson joined Cavalier Ambulance in 2002 as a driver. Jan’s passion for EMS led her to complete EMT coursework, then continue her education to attain her Paramedic credential in 2008. She progressed to working as a full-time Paramedic in 2009. Samson continues to serve her community in this capacity to this date. Jan is currently a regional director with the North Dakota EMS Association.

Through her efforts as the Pembina County EMS Education Coordinator, area ambulance services have gained many new and very well-trained EMRs and EMTs. In addition to organizing in-person training for Pembina staff, Jan positively impacts the larger region through the administration of web-based e-learning for EMS personnel from farther afield.

Jan has shown great interest and aptitude in developing her leadership abilities. This is manifested in her mentorship of new staff, as well as the application of new leadership concepts and techniques gained from her classes with SafeTech Solutions. For many EMS providers new to the profession, the learning curve can be challenging, especially within a rural Advanced Life Support service like Cavalier. Samson works patiently with EMRs and EMTs to help familiarize them with ALS equipment and procedures. She ensures that these BLS-level staff have an understanding of the advanced measures, so that they can be of assistance in a time of need.

Jan’s commitment, dedication, and passion ensure that we are proud to call her a 2017 Star of Life.

In her time away from Cavalier, Jan enjoys spending time with her adult children and first grandchild.