[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2617-S2618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
2011 AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION STARS OF LIFE
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I rise today to honor the brave men and
women of the emergency medical services, EMS, profession all across the
country who dedicate their lives to providing lifesaving health care
and first responder services to people in need.
In particular, I would like to recognize the 81 EMS professionals
being recognized today by the American Ambulance Association as ``Stars
of Life.'' These 81 Stars of Life will be on Capitol Hill for the next
couple of days, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to take the time
to meet with these exceptional individuals.
Every year, the dispatch of an ambulance is the first response to
millions of medical emergencies. Often, the survival of a patient is
enhanced by the prompt medical attention provided by paramedics and
emergency medical technicians, EMTs, prior to the arrival at an
emergency room. As a result of the selfless acts of these courageous
and devoted men and women, the lives of thousands of Americans are
saved each year. While these professionals do not expect to receive
recognition for their work, they deserve our outmost gratitude.
For the past 20 years, the American Ambulance Association has honored
those paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers, and other ambulance service
personnel who exemplify what is best about the EMS field. The American
Ambulance Association has appropriately designated these individuals as
``Stars of Life.'' Past Stars of Life have included paramedics and EMTs
who were part of the rescue efforts at the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center or provided evacuation and response to the victims
of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the recent flooding and storms in
the South and Midwest. Of equal importance, this program also pays
tribute to those ambulance service personnel whose heroic acts or
community service activities may not have made the news but were just
as meaningful to the people they aided. I consider myself fortunate to
have met with many Vermont paramedics and EMTs over the years, and I
have heard firsthand accounts of the tireless efforts that they perform
on a daily basis for their communities. They are truly America's health
care safety net.
One of the Stars of Life from Vermont left a lasting impression on
me. His name was Dale Long--a 2008 Stars of Life awardee. Just several
weeks after I had the opportunity to meet him, Dale was killed in the
line of duty as a paramedic with the Bennington Rescue Squad. Since
Dale was employed by a private nonprofit agency, he was not covered by
the Department of Justice's Public Safety Officer Benefit, PSOB,
program--even though his agency is the 9-1-1 emergency ambulance
service agency for Bennington, VT. In honor of Dale, I introduced the
Dale Long Emergency Medical Services Provider Protection Act, S. 385,
which would make paramedics and EMTs who work for a private nonprofit
EMS agency eligible for the PSOB program. In February, the Senate
unanimously approved the Dale Long Act as an amendment to the FAA
reauthorization bill, and I am hopeful that the Dale Long provision
will be retained in the final conference report.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the names of the 2011
American Ambulance Association Stars of Life honorees be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
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FIRST NAME LAST NAME COMPANY CITY STATE
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Daniel......................... Griswold......... Arizona Ambulance Sierra Vista..... AZ
Transport.
John........................... Sullivan......... Arizona Ambulance Sierra Vista..... AZ
Transport.
Michael........................ Atwell........... American Medical Victorville...... CA
Response.
Michael........................ O'Grady.......... American Medical San Mateo........ CA
Response.
Kevin.......................... Smith............ American Medical Sonoma........... CA
Response.
Gary........................... Smotrys.......... American Medical Palm Springs..... CA
Response.
Forrest........................ Uhland........... American Medical San Mateo........ CA
Response.
Thomas......................... Westbrook........ American Medical Concord.......... CA
Response.
Matt........................... Berckefeldt...... American Medical Pueblo........... CO
Response.
Autumn......................... DePolo........... American Medical Colorado Springs. CO
Response.
Chris.......................... Erickson......... Ute Pass Regional Woodland Park.... CO
Ambulance
District.
Jim............................ Hollman.......... Ute Pass Regional Woodland Park.... CO
Ambulance
District.
William........................ Broadbridge...... Hunter's Meriden.......... CT
Ambulance
Service.
Kelly.......................... Brunell.......... Hunter's Meriden.......... CT
Ambulance
Service.
Marisa......................... Carriveau........ American Medical West Hartford.... CT
Response.
Katrina........................ Perrelli......... Hunter's Meriden.......... CT
Ambulance
Service.
John........................... Pourciau......... American Medical Waterbury........ CT
Response.
Jared.......................... Yager............ Hunter's Meriden.......... CT
Ambulance
Service.
Donald......................... Anderson......... American Medical Broward County... FL
Response.
Thomas......................... Dawiczkowski..... Nature Coast EMS. Lecanto.......... FL
Marvin ``Happy''............... Montgomery....... Mid Georgia Macon............ GA
Ambulance.
Tito........................... Villanueva....... American Medical Lihue............ HI
Response.
Jane........................... Hagen............ Iowa EMS Urbandale........ IA
Association.
Nathan......................... Wilzbacher....... American Medical Evansville....... IN
Response.
Steven......................... Simon............ Acadian Ambulance Lafayette........ LA
Service.
Todd........................... Weir............. Acadian Ambulance Lafayette........ LA
Service.
Michelle....................... Borden........... Action Ambulance Wilmington....... MA
Service.
Christopher.................... Borges........... Cataldo Ambulance Somerville....... MA
Service.
Theodore....................... Crosby........... Action Ambulance Wilmington....... MA
Service.
Clayton........................ Davis............ Cataldo Ambulance Somerville....... MA
Service.
Kris........................... Keraghan......... Armstrong Arlington........ MA
Ambulance
Service.
Ann............................ McGrath.......... Armstrong Arlington........ MA
Ambulance
Service.
Jeff........................... Simmons.......... Cataldo Ambulance Somerville....... MA
Service.
Angela......................... Spofford......... Action Ambulance Wilmington....... MA
Service.
Martin......................... Tyrrell.......... American Medical Brockton......... MA
Response.
Rachael........................ Goeman........... American Medical Grand Rapids..... MI
Response.
Robert......................... Kirkland......... Community EMS.... Southfield....... MI
Matt........................... Mills............ LifeCare Battle Creek..... MI
Ambulance
Service.
Erik........................... Olsen............ Life EMS Grand Rapids..... MI
Ambulance.
Velvet......................... Whitt............ Tri-Township EMS. Atlanta.......... MI
Tracy.......................... Woodard.......... Huron Valley Ann Arbor........ MI
Ambulance.
Michelle....................... Anderson......... Lakes Region EMS. North Branch..... MN
Todd........................... Fisk............. Lakes Region EMS. North Branch..... MN
Brian.......................... Murley........... Mayo Clinic Rochester........ MN
Medical
Transport.
Tommy.......................... Walker........... American Medical St. Louis........ MO
Response/Abbott
EMS.
Derek.......................... Poole............ American Medical Jackson.......... MS
Response.
Thomas......................... White............ American Medical Natchez.......... MS
Response.
Cathy.......................... Jordan........... Medic, Charlotte........ NC
Mecklenburg EMS
Agency.
Virgil......................... Leggett.......... Medic, Charlotte........ NC
Mecklenburg EMS
Agency.
Jamie.......................... Stanford......... Medic, Charlotte........ NC
Mecklenburg EMS
Agency.
Marnie......................... Olson............ North Dakota EMS Bismarck......... ND
Association.
Keith.......................... Monaghan......... American Medical Egg Harbor NJ
Response. Township.
Jessica........................ Bauer............ REMSA............ Reno............. NV
Debi........................... Kubiak........... REMSA............ Reno............. NV
Leonard........................ Spice............ American Medical Las Vegas........ NV
Response.
Mark........................... Camplese......... Community Care Ashtabula........ OH
Ambulance.
Jason.......................... Fellows.......... Community Care Ashtabula........ OH
Ambulance.
Shane.......................... McKenzie......... Community Zanesville....... OH
Ambulance
Service.
Beth........................... Sundman.......... Community Care Ashtabula........ OH
Ambulance.
Ron............................ Causby........... EMSA............. Tulsa............ OK
Mark E......................... Hopping.......... Life EMS......... Enid............. OK
Mike........................... McWilliams....... Oklahoma Muskogee......... OK
Ambulance
Association.
[[Page S2618]]
Preston........................ White............ EMSA............. Tulsa............ OK
Robert......................... Breihof, III..... Metro West Hillsboro........ OR
Ambulance.
Rose........................... Durschmidt....... Woodburn Woodburn......... OR
Ambulance
Service.
Daren.......................... Groff............ Bay Cities Coos Bay......... OR
Ambulance.
Christopher.................... Pfingsten........ Metro West Hillsboro........ OR
Ambulance.
Philip......................... Reid............. Metro West Hillsboro........ OR
Ambulance.
Tracy.......................... Schroeder........ Medix Ambulance.. Warrenton........ OR
Monica......................... Stephens......... Pacific West Newport.......... OR
Ambulance.
Nicholas....................... Yoder............ American Medical Milwaukie........ OR
Response.
Andy........................... Brijmohansingh... Global Medical Santa Rosa Trinidad & Tobago
Response. Heights, Arima.
Rick........................... Dodd............. LifeNet.......... Texarkana........ TX
David.......................... Macias........... Life Ambulance El Paso.......... TX
Service.
Alejandro...................... Munoz............ Life Ambulance El Paso.......... TX
Service.
Pablo.......................... Rios............. American Medical San Antonio...... TX
Response.
Bryan.......................... Shelton.......... LifeNet.......... Texarkana........ TX
William........................ Mapes............ Regional Rutland.......... VT
Ambulance
Service.
Lawrence J..................... Salisbury........ Bennington Resque Bennington....... VT
Squad.
Rebecca........................ Ainley........... American Medical Seattle.......... WA
Response.
Niccole........................ Gibbs............ American Medical Vancouver........ WA
Response.
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