ROCKLAND COUNTY TO HONOR EMS WORKERS FOR SERVICE TO COMMUNITY

Event kicks-off national EMS Week, May 18 – 24

NEW CITY, NY  —  Rockland County Executive Ed Day will recognize and honor local emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners for their outstanding contributions to the community this weekend.  The County’s annual EMS Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 18 at 6 p.m. at the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Pomona.

The celebration will mark the start of National Emergency Medical Services Week, May 18 – May 24, 2014.  Now in its 40th year of celebration, EMS Week is a time for national appreciation of the daily life-saving service that EMS practitioners provide to their patients, and an acknowledgement of the important role of EMS in our nation’s healthcare system.

Ahead of the awards ceremony, local teens will take part in the County’s Annual Youth Squad EMS Competition.  The 1 p.m. activity includes various competitions between EMS youth squads.  Both events are open to the public.

“On behalf of all of our residents, I would like to thank our EMS providers for their dedication to ensure our safety around the clock,” said Day.  “We must celebrate our first responders and appreciate the commitment EMS has to providing emergency medical care to patients in their times of need.”

The following practitioners will be recognized for outstanding contributions to their EMS agencies, communities and the County:

Thomas Kohn – Basic Life Support Provider of the Year
Bernice Plata – Garatti – Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year
Ryan Hirschi – Youth Member of the Year
Nyack Community Volunteer Ambulance – EMS Agency of the Year
Tim Egan – EMS Leadership Award
Peter Medina – EMS Communications Specialist of the Year
Dawn Sugrue – Registered Professional Nurse of Excellence
Dr. Dennis Mao – Physician of Excellence
Nick Rusiecki – Rockland County Health Commissioner’s Award
Rockland Mobile Care – Excellence in EMS Quality and Safety Award

Rockland County EMS Coordinator Kim Lippes will also present awards to Members of the Year for each EMS agency and trophies to the winners of the Youth Competition.  “Countless lives are saved each day by the hundreds of Emergency Medical Service workers, both career and volunteer,” said Lippes.  “Take a moment to thank these dedicated people who respond, day and night, to help our residents in their time of need.”