Miki Leslie is being recognized for her extraordinary actions on August 15, 2023, when she responded to a single-vehicle rollover accident involving two children and two adults. Despite being off duty, Miki arrived at the scene before any responders, as the accident occurred near her home. Without hesitation, she immediately triaged all the patients and provided crucial updates to the first responders en route.

One of the patients was a young child who had been ejected from the vehicle and was drifting in and out of consciousness. By the time EMS arrived, Miki had already completed full assessments on each patient and was holding C-spine precautions on the youngest victim. She remained on scene throughout the entire call, assisting the responding EMS team with critical patient care tasks, including suctioning, applying a C-collar, assisting with backboarding, aiding in intubation, bagging the patient via ETT, and hot-loading a patient into a responding air ambulance.

Miki’s quick thinking, skillful actions, and dedication played a vital role in the successful management of the scene and the treatment of each patient, even without the advantage of additional help or equipment. Her selfless service and expertise on that day exemplify the best of what it means to be an EMS professional.

Dwight Derby, an EMT-Basic with Advanced Life Systems in Yakima, Washington, began his EMS career in 2001 as part of a worker retraining program after a local manufacturing plant closure. At the age of 28, he returned to school and earned an associate degree in Fire Science, which led to his EMT certification.

Motivated to give back to the community, Dwight became a volunteer firefighter in Union Gap, Washington, in 2001 while also starting his work with Advanced Life Systems. After transferring to Selah, Washington, in 2013, he recently celebrated 23 years of service in fire and EMS.

At Advanced Life Systems, Dwight has been promoted to Field Training Officer, where he helps train new employees. This year, he proudly witnessed two of his EMT-Basic trainees advance to become Paramedics, a testament to the impact of his mentorship. Trusted by his Operations Manager to train both new and experienced EMTs and Paramedics, Dwight takes great pride in his role and consistently goes above and beyond for his patients, partners, and community.

Dwight is also a devoted father to three daughters, ages 21, 10, and 5, who are his greatest motivation for continuing to serve his community.

Advanced Life Systems is proud to recognize Dwight Derby for his dedication, expertise, and 23 years of service to EMS and his community.

Cassandra Clark, a Paramedic at Medix Ambulance Service, has been an integral part of the team since becoming one of the first Paramedics at our Longview, Washington location. With ten years of experience, she has worked in a wide range of environments, from extremely rural areas to high-volume urban emergency response.

Cassandra’s passion for healthcare began at a young age. Inspired by her mother, who worked in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals, Cassandra spent her youth volunteering at the assisted living facility her mother managed. Her interest in emergency medical services was sparked when her father enrolled her in an EMT course at the Lovelock Volunteer Fire Department, and she’s been committed to the field ever since.

In addition to her role as a Paramedic, Cassandra serves as an EMT and Paramedic Training Assistant, helping manage training and recertification for her colleagues. She also works as an on-shift supervisor, supporting her team with her leadership and experience.

Medix Ambulance Service is proud to recognize Cassandra Clark as a 2024 Star of Life for her dedication, expertise, and contributions to both her team and the community she serves.

What started as a quick lunch for Daniel Yandell and his partner turned into a heartfelt and perhaps lifesaving encounter with a fellow restaurant patron. Daniel and his partner were waiting for their food inside a fast-food restaurant when a man approached them, telling them he was experiencing mental health challenges and suicidal ideation. Daniel sat and talked with the individual, listening, empathizing, and eventually trying to connect the person with resources that could assist.

The dialogue between Daniel and the individual proved to be extremely effective, so much so that the person would go on to request ambulance transport to a hospital for further help. The kindness and empathy that Daniel and his partner showed the patient changed his mind about ending his life and guided him to get help instead.

Daniel and his partner saved a life, over lunch, by simply listening.

Jacob Ambach saved the lives of five patients who suffered cardiac arrests last year. If it were not for Jacob’s collaboration with the local teams that were at the scenes of those incidents, the patients likely would not have survived.

In addition, Jacob has assumed leadership over his local operation’s Special Pathogen Transport team, which works directly with the Region 10 Special Pathogen Treatment Center. The team serves as the primary transport crew for all the Special Pathogens patients coming into the region. This includes helping care for the first COVID-19 patients diagnosed in the State of Washington.

A resolute EMS professional, Jacob believes many of the issues faced by the communities he serves can be solved through education and good communication. He is living proof of this principle given the obstacles he has overcome in his own life, including learning disabilities.

In every challenge he faces, Jacob remains steadfast, never allowing his setbacks to slow him down from becoming a trustworthy and accomplished Paramedic.

Darrell Stanley is approaching his 22nd anniversary serving his community at Olympic Ambulance. Throughout his tenure, Darrell has excelled in many roles in the organization. He has proudly led his colleagues as Duty Officer for his shift since 2015.

As an experienced Field Training Officer, Darrell is a State Emergency System Evaluator and has been key to the initial education of development of local EMTs. Darrell’s vast experience and knowledge make him an important element of Olympic’s continued success. Darrell also lends his many talents to the EMS high-risk infection team in the state of Washington.

Throughout Darrell’s time with Olympic Ambulance, he has provided quality patient care while simultaneously going above and beyond to work across departments and divisions to achieve our shared goals. Olympic is proud to honor Darrell Stanley as a 2023 Star of Life.

Katie Smith has been a Paramedic at AMR for eight years and serves as a Supervisor, Field Training Officer, and part-time Fire Medic. However, last Thanksgiving her skills and management abilities were put to the test.

The day started out normally. Katie spent time with her family and delivered a holiday meal for on-duty team members. But then a multi-vehicle accident was called in. One of the vehicles was a bus filled with college students that had rolled over. Katie dropped everything to respond. During her hour-long drive to the remote scene, Katie coordinated responding units from several different jurisdictions. Under Katie’s incident command, enough resources were secured to transport 45 patients to local hospitals. Katie also helped coordinate a warm place for the walking wounded to shelter from the snow and receive care.  

As a trainer and mentor, Katie plays a huge role in molding the next generation of EMS professionals. Her expertise and dedication to her team, patients, and community are remarkable. 

On the afternoon of January 29, 2018, Eric, a 15-year veteran, was running some errands while off-duty. After turning off a local Interstate, Eric noticed a teenage boy on the overpass standing on top of the Jersey barrier staring at the freeway below.

That’s when Eric’s instincts kicked in. Eric pulled his car over and cautiously approached the young man. Eric used all his training and experience to persuade the young boy not to jump. After some careful negotiation, Eric was able to gain the boy’s trust and convinced the boy to step away from the edge. When the police arrived, Eric learned the boy had been reported missing for the last 24-36 hours.

The Chief of the Lakewood Police Department presented Eric with their Life Saving Award for his heroic actions on this day. Eric is truly a caregiver willing to go above and beyond for the community he serves, and is a perfect example of what it means to be a Star of Life.

Not only is Tris a positive role model, instructor and mentor, she is also a compassionate and dedicated clinician. Whether holding a hand, wiping away a tear, or comforting a patient, Tris starts each shift with one goal—to make a difference, one patient at a time. In addition to her role as EMT and Field Training Officer, Tris is a volunteer field team member with the King County Search and Rescue, an organization that performs more than 100 urban and rural rescue missions each year. Tris’s passion for EMS and relentless commitment to her profession, community, and the patients she serves are some of the many reasons why she has been selected as a Star of Life.