[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              WESTPORT VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to commend the Westport 
Volunteer Emergency Medical Service. Next week, the Westport Volunteer 
EMS will receive the EMS Magazine ``Gold Award'' in recognition of the 
extraordinary vision, professionalism, and dedication of Westport's 
volunteer emergency medical service providers.
  By awarding WVEMS the ``Gold Award,'' EMS Magazine is confirming what 
many of us have long known: community spirit is alive and well in 
Connecticut and it still changes lives for the better. The men and 
women of the Westport Volunteer EMS are true heros--not only because 
they save lives--but because they are willing to do the yeomen's work 
that must be done to ensure that our communities are prepared to 
respond when the unthinkable happens.
  More than 120 Westport volunteers respond to more than 2,000 9-1-1 
calls each year. These volunteers make a huge difference in the lives 
of their fellow citizens. They respond to emergencies night and day. 
They provide comfort and assistance to people in distress and they save 
lives. But they also make an enormous difference in less dramatic ways. 
They teach safety and emergency preparedness classes to hundreds of 
school-aged children and adults. They host conferences. And nearly 
every weekend, somewhere in the community a volunteer EMS team provides 
coverage at a local school athletic event or community gathering. This 
is the true essence of community spirit--the willingness to spend time 
working with your neighbors to protect and service the greater good.
  The Westport EMS was formally incorporated in 1979 and continues to 
serve the community as a division within the Westport Police 
Department, with on-site, standby crews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 
52 weeks a year. Last year, Westport's volunteers logged 26,000 hours 
of community service.


  The entire Northeast region recently had a chance to see the Westport 
EMS at work when Westport hosted a regional disaster drill in the form 
of a simulated Amtrak train wreck at the Westport train station. More 
than 400 EMS, fire, police, railroad, and National Guard personnel were 
joined by State officials in a realistic and successful event.
  Recently, the Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service program 
was presented the ``Connecticut Treasures'' award in recognition of the 
agency's 20 years of service to the community. This same service and 
dedication are examples of one of America's greatest treasures--the 
goodness and charity of the American people. I commend the Westport EMS 
volunteers for their extraordinary service to their fellow citizens, 
and I congratulate them on receiving this much-deserved honor.

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