Bernard “Bernie” Cote is Rescue Inc.’s 2024 Star of Life, but he has truly been a star for many years. Bernie’s interest in EMS began in high school. Although he pursued a degree in computer science and business administration, he felt a strong calling to work on an ambulance. He received his EMT certification from a Cheshire Medical Center course in 1994, followed by EMT-I in 1998, which later transitioned to AEMT.

Bernie spent 15 years with the Keene Fire Call Company and joined Diluzio Ambulance Service in 1995. In 2006, he became part of Rescue Inc. In 2023, when Diluzio Ambulance closed its doors, Bernie was there to ensure that the community continued to receive experienced emergency medical care during the transition. He worked diligently with Rescue Inc. to help bring over the providers who were losing their jobs.

Bernie is known for his loyalty and consistency. He reliably shows up for his shifts, and his documentation and care are always of the highest quality. He puts in long hours including working nights and weekend shifts, often fueled by baked treats from his wife, Cassie. Throughout the years, he has provided excellent patient care, demonstrating unwavering dedication.

When asked what he enjoys about EMS, Bernie says, “I love helping people and providing quick solutions that lead them to long-term care.”

Bernie resides in Newfane, VT, with his wife and their two cats. Cassie suffers from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and Bernie spends his free time supporting her and researching ways to help. Together, they enjoy their adventures as The Pirates Cassandra and Phelan in pirate reenactments and renaissance fairs.

We are truly grateful for Bernie and the invaluable contributions he makes to our community.

Eric Foell has built an impressive 13-year career in EMS, distinguished by his compassionate care, dedication to his community, and commitment to his colleagues. As a Critical Care Paramedic at Regional Ambulance Service, Eric has advanced through the ranks, now also serving as the Training Coordinator, where he shares his extensive knowledge and experience with the next generation of EMS providers.

A U.S. Marine veteran, Eric’s dedication to service extends beyond EMS. He is an accomplished ultramarathon runner, having completed a 50-mile race and currently training for a 100-mile ultramarathon. When not serving his community or pursuing his athletic passions, Eric enjoys spending time with his family and their horses.

Eric’s career reflects Regional Ambulance Service’s motto of “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency, and Professionalism,” making him a deserving recipient of the 2024 Star of Life Award.

Regional Ambulance Service proudly awards the Star of Life to Daisy Moore. In just over a year with us, Daisy has showcased unparalleled compassion and dedication to her patients. Her infectious smile and positivity inspire her colleagues daily.

Starting her EMS career in 2016 with the National Guard, Daisy boasts eight years as a skilled Paramedic. She also actively serves in the Vermont National Guard, further displaying her commitment.

Daisy not only upholds but exemplifies our motto: “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency, and Professionalism.” We’re honored to have such a stellar Paramedic on our team.

Rescue Inc. is proud to recognize Todd Perry as an American Ambulance Association Star of Life. He has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to our community and the EMS profession, going above and beyond the call of duty in every aspect of his work. Todd’s got that spark.

In 1987, Todd joined the fire department as a volunteer, and began responding to fire and rescue calls. Without medical training, Todd felt that his ability to help was limited. Todd is not the type of individual to stay limited, so he sought training to become an Emergency Care Assistant. He then quickly earned his EMT license. He’s got that spark.

Todd joined Rescue Inc in 2005, and since then has been literally saving lives daily. In 2006, he became an EMT-Intermediate. Next, he earned two associate degrees and his RN license in 2012 and 2014, respectively. After completing the requirements to become an Advanced EMT in 2014, he completed a bridge program to earn his national Paramedic license in 2017. He continued to advance his practice as both RN and Paramedic, and by the end of 2018, he had become certified in critical care in both fields.

Todd is deeply committed to continuous learning and actively seeks out opportunities to expand his knowledge and skills, ensuring that he remains at the forefront of best practices in medicine. Todd is a mentor and a teammate, and in 2021 and 2022, his peers awarded him ALS Provider of the Year. Now in 2023, Todd is a leading provider of our prehospital point-of-care ultrasound program and an experienced Critical Care Paramedic. He is also involved with the new rapid sequence intubation program at the agency. He hopes to advance his practice as a critical care provider to offer the best outcomes he can to all those in need. He is currently working full-time positions as both a Critical Care Paramedic and a Critical Care Nurse. He’s got that spark.

Todd feels that his dual Paramedic and nursing professions are interconnected and complement one another. During the pandemic, growing concerns that the healthcare system was going to become overwhelmed weighed heavily on Todd. He asked if he could assist by doing “Just-In-Time” training sessions for nurses and other providers not familiar with critical care, including ventilators. He felt that the best way to help the community as a whole was to prepare as many providers as possible to assist in the most challenging of circumstances. Fortunately, COVID was not as deadly in Vermont as it was elsewhere. However, Todd was able to prepare more than 100 providers to assist should the need have emerged. He’s got that spark.

Todd is the guy you want to see: He’s the guy you want to see if you are a new EMT on your first day looking for friendly guidance; he’s the guy you want to see if you are injured or sick and afraid; he’s the guy you want to see in the ER as your nurse or in your home as your Paramedic. Todd is that guy; he’s got that spark.

Todd lives with his wife, two children, 45 sheep, 20 chickens, and three dogs on his 18-acre farm in a town of 869 folks. When he’s not working or studying, he enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, and making improvements to his 150-year-old farm house. He is a shining example of the kind of dedicated and compassionate professional that this award was created to honor. He’s got that spark.

Michael A. Hoffman has been chosen to be honored as a Star of Life for his commitment to his patients, his service, and his community.

Michael has been a dedicated EMT for Regional Ambulance Service for over a year. In that time, he has shown his compassion and commitment not only for the patients in his care, but also for the communities that he serves and his fellow employees. He began his EMS career as a Nationally Registered EMT, a certification that he obtained through his military training. Michael is a veteran, and served nine years of active duty in the VT Army National Guard as well as in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Michael has chosen to continue his EMS training. He recently completed his AEMT and has been accepted to Vermont Technical College’s Paramedic program to begin this fall.

In addition to his duties at Regional Ambulance Service, Michael is a dedicated husband and father of five.

Lieutenant Joseph (Joe) Thompson has been a devoted member of Rescue Inc since 1982. Joe began his career as a volunteer EMT covering the overnight shifts. Since that time, his role at Rescue has transformed into a full-time leadership position. He currently wears many hats within the organization – from Frontline Shift Supervisor to building maintenance, to Emergency Medical Responder to CEVO driver instructor. Joe is the “go-to” guy and has an answer for everything.

Not only does Joe always have an answer, but he always shows up – day or night. When you need Joe, he is there. There is not another individual more dedicated to the agency than Joe. In fact, he has his own internal radio system, named the “Joedio,” because he is always there and always listening.

Joe says he loves working at Rescue because, “every day is a new and exciting challenge that keeps me on my toes and thinking. It’s a wonderful place, otherwise I wouldn’t have been here for forty years.” Despite already wearing many hats, Joe is constantly being thrown into different roles. One minute he is conducting an on-road drivers test for a new employee, and the next he is driving a critical care transfer, and, as soon as he returns, he is doing a car seat check and then restocking all the supplies. He takes these new challenges and obstacles with stride and continues to hum his way through the day with a positive attitude and a smile on his face.

When Joe is not at Rescue (which is not often), he enjoys mowing lawns, going fishing, and spending time with his grandson. In addition, Joe volunteers his time at the local ski hill as a patroller. He loves to keep busy and to be in the community giving back in every aspect of his life.

Joe has truly made a positive impact on Rescue Inc, and we are honored to recognize Joe Thompson as a 2022 Star of Life Award nominee.

Robert Walters has been chosen by his peers to be honored as a Star of Life for his commitment to his patients and his community.

Bob has been a dedicated Paramedic for Regional Ambulance Service since 1992. He began his EMS career in 1985 as a First Responder in Orwell, VT, and then worked in Boston for six years, where he obtained his Paramedic certification. When he returned to Vermont, Bob continued to work as a Field Paramedic with Regional Ambulance Service.

Over his 27 years (25 years full time) with Regional Ambulance Service, Bob has been an active mentor to current and new employees. He is always willing to share his knowledge with students and coworkers and does so in a very constructive way. He provides exceptional patient care and goes above and beyond expectations.

No matter the situation, Bob not only treats the medical needs of the patients, but also exhibits professional behavior. He is dependable and often works extra shifts when needed.

Bob and his family are active in their church, which positively impacts the communities of Rutland County.

We are proud to have Bob Walters representing Regional Ambulance Service and living up to our motto of “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”

Mark Considine has played a very active role at Rescue Inc over the past 33 years. He has made a huge impact on the agency and each individual provider he has worked with. Mark is the former Chief of Rescue Inc and, although he has stepped down from that role, he continues to be actively involved in QAQI review and with training new Paramedics. He also works as a front line Critical Care Paramedic.

As a Paramedic, Mark continues to be the busiest member of our agency. The most remarkable thing about Mark Considine is that, even though he has been working 48 hour plus weeks for 33 years, he has never complained! He is the hardest-working, most dedicated worker in EMS. Mark also continues to expand his medical knowledge by attending numerous training programs each year and advancing his scope of practice. In our opinion, Mark is at the forefront of paramedicine in the state of Vermont and beyond.

Mark is an excellent mentor. He is eager to pass on his knowledge and assist others in transitioning into management roles. He never ceases to provide insightful and calculated feedback and advice.

In addition, Mark manages to stay fit and active through daily workouts with his wife, Lori-Ann. Throughout 33 years in EMS, he has managed to maintain a balance between work and home life, something that many in our line of work struggle to do. Mark also has two sons, one of which has followed in his footsteps and works full-time at a fire department as a Paramedic and Firefighter.

Our Star of Life nominee has been in EMS for many years. During that time he has been a teacher and mentor to many. He brings an amazing energy and a high level of professionalism to every call. Michael is always willing to help any level EMT learn new skills or become more proficient in a current skill. He is patient, kind and makes learning fun! Michael is also always willing to answer any questions after a call. He truly embodies what we believe a great provider should be. Michael completed his first EMT course in the fall of 1994 and was hired part time after completing this course, and 6 months later was hired full-time. In 1996, Michael completed the EMT-Intermediate course and worked as an advanced provider until 1998 when he continued to advance his education and was accepted into the Advanced Life Support Institute where he obtained his National Paramedic certification in 2000. Michael became one of the first paramedics to provide paramedicine to the surrounding communities in District 5. Michael went on to complete the Vermont Critical Care Program and was instrumental in establishing the service to provide interfacilty transports of critically ill patients. Michael has worked for the organization he started his career with 20 years ago. He has taught countless EMT, ACLS, PALS and recertification classes, just to name a few. He has served as CALEX Training Coordinator and District Training Coordinator. It is safe to say that everyone in our district has benefitted from his knowledge. Michael also serves as a Vermont Assistant Medical Examiner and is an American Board Certified Medicolegal Death Investigator. Michael is married to his wife Sarah and has two children Colby and Lily. Michael enjoys motorcycling, snowmobiling and spending time with his family.”

James Collins started out in EMS as a volunteer in 1978 and 8 years later joined Regional Ambulance. Jim made EMS his career profession and has always been proactive with his training. He was one of the first employees to attend Paramedic school after the service became a Licensed Paramedic service in 1990. He gained his UMBC Critical Care Paramedic designation by taking the 8th course held in the nation put on by UMBC in 1996 at Regional Ambulance. He was chosen as the Vermont Paramedic of the year in 2001. Jim is a long time respected Paramedic Shift Supervisor who leads by example. He is known for being very fair and would never assign anything to a fellow employee he wouldn’t do himself. He is knowledgeable, dependable, dedicated, personally credible and a Great Paramedic. Jim has faithfully served the citizens of our coverage area for the past 28 years. He has been chosen as a Star of Life for his many years of service to his patients, fellow staff members and to the EMS profession. This year Jim will be semi-retiring and moving into a part time status to enjoy more time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Jim Collins sets the example of our service’s motto “Serving People 1st with Pride, Proficiency, and Professionalism”.”

Chris has been chosen by his peers to be honored as a Star of Life for his commitment to his patients and his community.

A dedicated EMT for Regional Ambulance Service for the past 14 years, Chris always provides exceptional patient care. Chris is also a loyal employee who goes above and beyond our expectations and is consistently compassionate towards others.

No matter how difficult the situation may be, Chris not only treats the medical needs of his patients, he also exhibits a positive attitude and is uplifting and caring to everyone.

Chris is well known for  his exemplary caring behavior to his community—in addition to working with Regional Ambulance Service, he has volunteered at his local fire department for 31 years.

We are proud to have Chris “Jake” Jakubiak representing and living up to our motto of “Serving People First with his Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”

Brian is being honored as a Star of Life for his commitment to his community and to his patients. Brian was nominated by several of his peers.

Brian started in EMS 15 years ago as a volunteer, and he has worked for Regional Ambulance Service for the past 11 years. Brian is a Critical Care Paramedic where he displays professionalism and provides exceptional lifesaving skills. Brian never buckles under pressure and is always calm and collected, no matter the nature of a call. Brian is extremely confident and knowledgeable when it comes to emergency medicine. Brian is the type of Paramedic you hope shows up at your doorstep if you or a family member is facing a medical emergency.

Brian has also served at his local volunteer fire department for the past 19 years, and has shown his leadership capabilities serving in officer positions, including Deputy Chief.

Regional Ambulance is proud to be represented by Brian Porch, who lives out our motto of “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”

Walter is being honored as an American Ambulance Association Star of Life for his commitment to his community and to his fellow first responders. Serving as volunteer Field Chief for the Regional Ambulance Castleton First Responders, he manages the team by coordinating scheduling, completing paperwork, and ordering and maintaining supplies, equipment, and uniforms, in addition to responding to calls. Walter has served on the RAS Castleton First Responders since its creation in 1992. Walter is also an AEMT at Regional Ambulance, serving since 1999.

Walter is an instructor for EMT and EMR courses, and he works to train the Castleton police officers to be first responders. Over the past twenty-four years he has consistently demonstrated a devotion to others, serving the public as an Emergency Medical Technician and exemplifying the Regional Ambulance Service motto of “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”

Jerome “Jerry” Senturia has been instrumental in introducing many people to the EMS field in the last 18 years, and has assisted others as they progress to higher levels of certification. Between starting a first responder program in his town, and assisting another town with the organizational framework and a model to start their own EMS squad, it is safe to say that Jerry truly loves EMS and helping his community. He has served many roles within the EMS community, including EMS Captain, Training Officer, and Secretary for his department, as well as a CPR instructor. He is currently
an active member of the Green Mountain Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Jerry has also led the effort to get AEDs on all of the fire apparatuses in his town. In 2003 he was named Vermont’s EMT Basic of the Year.

In light of the values for which the AAA Star of Life award is based, Caledonia Essex Area Ambulance Service, Inc. is proud to nominate Jerry Senturia to receive this distinction.