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| Photo by Michael J. Yourishin |
The Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department recently presented Medals of Valor to deserving individuals for their actions on incidents in 2011. Additionally, a Firefighter and Paramedic of the Year were recognized for their outstanding performance. The Valor Awards Luncheon was held on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at Martins Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland. Recipients were presented with their awards by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, County Council Chair Andrea Harrison and Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor.
Here are the recipients from the Fire/EMS Department.
GOLD MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC ALEXANDER H. MYERS
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER LIEUTENANT JOHN P. CALLAN
FIRE FIGHER/MEDIC BOBBY J. BLEVINS
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF ADON W. SNYDER, JR.
In the early
morning hours of January 27, 2011, during a crippling snowstorm, firefighters
were dispatched to the 4500 block of Woodgate Way for a reported house fire
with a person trapped. On arrival, crews
encountered a 1½ story single-family dwelling with thick black smoke and heavy
fire showing. Three occupants had
already escaped, after being alerted by a working smoke alarm, and were
frantically telling the arriving firefighters a family member was still inside
the residence.
The crew on board
the first arriving engine began an aggressive interior attack, attempting to
control the spread of the fire. The Rescue Squad from St. Joseph Fire/EMS
Station 806 arrived on the scene. Aware
of the trapped occupant, Fire Lieutenant John P. Callan and Fire Fighter/Medic
Bobby J. Blevins entered the structure and forcefully pushed past the
protection of the attack line to begin their search. Able to hear the victim’s cries, they crawled
toward her voice but were met by a solid wall of flame. Without hesitation, Lieutenant Callan and
Fire Fighter Blevins put themselves in direct flame contact and entered the
wall of fire as they continued to work their way toward the victim’s
location.
As the interior crew searched for the victim, Assistant Fire Chief Adon W. Snyder, who by now had arrived on the scene, went to the rear of the home to perform a size-up. In the rear, he saw the trapped occupant at a second-story window and heard her screaming for her life as the choking black smoke and intense heat engulfed her. At the same time, an exterior crew member of Rescue Squad 806, Fire Fighter Alexander H. Myers, came around to the rear of the home with a ladder. The ladder was placed at the window by both members in an effort to rescue the victim. The 63-year-old female had severe physical limitations and was unable to get out of the window on her own. Fire Fighter Myers ascended the ladder to the victim’s location.
As the interior crew searched for the victim, Assistant Fire Chief Adon W. Snyder, who by now had arrived on the scene, went to the rear of the home to perform a size-up. In the rear, he saw the trapped occupant at a second-story window and heard her screaming for her life as the choking black smoke and intense heat engulfed her. At the same time, an exterior crew member of Rescue Squad 806, Fire Fighter Alexander H. Myers, came around to the rear of the home with a ladder. The ladder was placed at the window by both members in an effort to rescue the victim. The 63-year-old female had severe physical limitations and was unable to get out of the window on her own. Fire Fighter Myers ascended the ladder to the victim’s location.
No longer hearing
the victim’s cries for help, Lieutenant Callan and Fire Fighter Blevins thought
the victim had succumbed as they entered her back bedroom. As they searched the room and got to the
window they were relieved to see her below receiving treatment. They continued the performance of their
duties, unaware that in their valiant attempts to reach the victim their
breathing apparatus and personal protective equipment, while saving them from
serious injury, had received irreparable damage.
Fire Fighter Myers,
knowing he had to act quickly before the victim fell back into the room,
partially slid his body past the victim and subjected himself to the intense
heat and thick smoke of the room’s interior.
There he physically hoisted the victim over the window sill, out of the
room, and onto the ladder. The pair of
rescuers brought the seriously burned woman down the ladder and immediately
began treating her, while summoning paramedics to their location. The patient was transferred into the care of
EMS personnel and transported to the hospital with second-degree burns to her
lower body and suffering from smoke inhalation.
She was hospitalized for two weeks and has since fully recovered. Fire Fighter Myers was also transported and
admitted to the Burn Unit at Washington Hospital Center for evaluation of
possible thermal injuries to his airway, sustained while making the rescue. He was hospitalized for two days before being
released and returned to duty just days after the incident.
For extreme personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Fire Fighter/Medic
Alexander H. Myers is awarded a Gold Medal of Valor.
For great personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Fire Fighter Lieutenant
John P. Callan and Fire Fighter/Medic Bobby J. Blevins are awarded a Silver
Medal of Valor.
For zeal and judgment, Assistant Fire Chief Adon W. Snyder,
Jr. is awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
Assistant Fire Chief Snyder and Fire Fighter Lieutenant
Callan are both two-time Valor Award recipients, each having received the
Silver in 2003.
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER FIRE CAPTAIN KYLE SCHULTZ
VOLUNTEER SERGEANT NIK ZUPANIC
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER JOSH MURPHY
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER WILLIAM J. PRICE
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER BRADLEY MUMMAW
In the
early morning hours of Wednesday, January 19, 2011, firefighters and paramedics
from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department and the Bladensburg Volunteer
Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Inc. responded to 4709 40th Avenue for the report of a house
fire with occupants trapped. Crews arrived to find heavy fire conditions
had engulfed the entire first floor and front of the residence, making it
extremely difficult to gain entry from that location. The family members
of the trapped victims were gathered in the front yard frantically pleading for
help. The crew from Hyattsville, which consisted of Volunteer Sergeant
Nik Zupanic, Volunteer Fire Fighter William Price, and Volunteer Fire Fighter
Josh Murphy, made their way to the rear and entered the structure. Upon
locating the interior stairwell, Volunteer Sergeant Zupanic conducted a primary
search of the second floor. Volunteer Fire Fighter Price, having made his
way up the stairwell, located an unconscious female child. He handed the
young victim to Volunteer Sergeant Zupanic, who carried her down the stairwell,
while he and Volunteer Fire Fighter Murphy cleared a path outside. Once
out of the burning structure, it was noticed that the child had no pulse.
Volunteer Fire Fighter Price and Volunteer Fire Fighter Murphy immediately
began CPR until the child was placed in the care of EMS personnel, who
transported her to the hospital.
Volunteer
Fire Captain Kyle Schultz and Volunteer Fire Fighter Bradley Mummaw from
Bladensburg was the second arriving crew. On arrival, Sergeant Schultz
sized up the situation at the front of the home. He then made a split
second call to mount an aggressive interior attack and rapid search, going
through the front door, in an attempt to reach the children. Entry was
difficult and risky, but Volunteer Captain Schultz and Volunteer Fire Fighter
Mummaw went ahead of the hose line, pushing far enough into the house to locate
an unresponsive child in the living room. Without the constant protection
of the hose line, they successfully removed the victim to the front lawn and
immediately turned her over to the care of EMS personnel.
Tragically,
despite the efforts of firefighters, the two 12-year-old girls succumbed to
their injuries.
For
personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Volunteer Captain Kyle Schultz, Volunteer
Sergeant Nik Zupanic, and Volunteer Fire Fighters Josh Murphy, William J.
Price, and Bradley Mummaw are awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
This is
Volunteer Schultz’s second Medal of Valor, having received the Silver in 2010.
This is
Volunteer Nik Zupanic’s second Medal of Valor, having also received the Silver
in 2010.
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER JOHN “DEREK” DAVES
On the
evening of Friday, November 4, 2011, while on his way home after working Bingo
at the Branchville Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Squad, Inc., Volunteer
Fire Fighter Derek Daves witnessed a horrific two-vehicle crash on John Hanson
Highway in Landover, Maryland. He arrived on the scene just seconds after
the incident occurred and encountered two children trapped in the backseat of a
vehicle that had burst into flames after being struck by another vehicle.
Volunteer Fire Fighter Daves used his cell phone to notify 911 of the
incident. Despite not having his firefighter’s gear, a charged hose line,
or any protective equipment, Fire Fighter Daves immediately and without
hesitation approached the burning vehicle. Hearing the screams of the
bystanders alerting him of the trapped children and in an effort to access
them, Volunteer Fire Fighter Daves aggressively attempted to open the doors or
break the windows. However, the intensity of the fire, combined with
thick black toxic smoke and extreme heat, forced him to retreat without being
able to make the rescue.
Volunteer
Fire Fighter Daves painfully described seeing the two children inside the
burning car and hearing their screams as “a vision that will be indelibly
etched in my mind.” It was later determined the damage to the vehicle was
so severe that access would only have been possible with the use of the
heavy-duty hydraulic equipment typically used by firefighters.
Fire
Fighter Daves acted without concern for his personal safety, while attempting
to save the lives of the two young victims. As a result of his actions,
Fire Fighter Daves sustained burn injuries to his hand and exposure to the
intense heat and thick smoke.
For great
personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Volunteer Fire Fighter John “Derek” Daves is
awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER JOHN “CHIP” MOSER
On the evening of Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Prince George’s
County firefighters and paramedics from the New Carrollton area were alerted to
an apartment building fire at 5328 85th Avenue. The
crews arrived to find a four-story building, with fire showing from all four
floors. The first arriving firefighters had their hands full, removing
occupants form their balconies on the front and rear side of the apartment
building and mounting an attack on the fire. One of the crew members from
the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Volunteer Fire Fighter John
“Chip” Moser, was returning to his engine to retrieve additional equipment when
he observed someone waving a towel out of a top floor apartment window on the
side of the building. A large amount of smoke was also pouring out of the
window. Volunteer Fire Fighter Moser immediately grabbed a ladder large
enough to reach the top floor and yelled for a nearby paramedic to assist with
him with placement of a ladder. Volunteer Fire Fighter Moser ascended the
ladder, which just barely reached the bottom of the window. He reached up
to the window and was handed an infant from inside. He descended the
ladder and turned the baby over to the care of the paramedic. Volunteer
Fire Fighter Moser then returned up the ladder, where he assisted an adult
female, the infant’s grandmother, out of the window and carried her down the
ladder to safety. He carried the female over to the triage area where
paramedics were treating about a dozen occupants. The infant and
grandmother were both transported to a nearby hospital, where they were treated
for smoke inhalation and released the next day. If not for Volunteer Fire
Fighter Moser’s alertness that enabled him to see the towel, the injuries to
the infant and grandmother could have been much worse.
For great personal risk involved in a high-angle rescue of
two trapped occupants, zeal, and judgment, Volunteer Fire Fighter John “Chip”
Moser is awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
Regrettably, Volunteer Fire Fighter Moser is unable to be
here, as he is currently in the U. S. Marine Corp Boot Camp in Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina. to
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC LIEUTENANT RUSSELL L. POE
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM CORRIGAN
PARAMEDIC CAPTAIN DANNY HUGHES
VOLUNTEER SERGEANT TIMOTHY R. CURRAN
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JOHN W. GODENICK
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC RYAN A. SHIPP
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER TROY DANNENFELSER
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER CHRIS HAGEN
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER MATTHEW D. LAURIA
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER DANIEL LEYDEN
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER BEN ROSS
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER HENRY SULLIVAN
During
the early morning hours of Sunday, November 27, 2011, firefighters responded to
a house fire at 2411 Griffen Street in the Chillum-Adelphi area. On
arrival, heavy fire and thick smoke consumed the front portion of a one-story,
single-family home with three victims reported trapped inside the
residence. First arriving firefighters initiated an attack on the fire,
as other firefighters made their way ahead of the hose lines into the burning
structure to search for the trapped occupants. Firefighters searched the
rear of the house through blinding smoke and intense heat, locating three unconscious
victims in their bedrooms whom they quickly removed from the increasingly
untenable conditions. Once outside, the victims were found to be without
pulse or respirations, and emergency pre-hospital care was started by
firefighters and paramedics.
These firefighters
and paramedics fought a well advanced fire, performed searches for trapped
occupants in high heat and thick smoke conditions, and performed pre-hospital
emergency care of the three victims removed from the burning home.
College Park Volunteer Fire Fighter Troy Dannenfelser
and Volunteer Sergeant Timothy Curran removed a first floor
bedroom
window and entered the residence. Volunteer Fire Fighter
Dannenfelser immediately performed a Vent Enter
Search maneuver, during which
he discovered an unconscious adult female lying between the bed and
wall. Volunteer
Fire Fighter Dannenfelser and Volunteer Sergeant
Curran positioned the victim in front of the window and removed her
outside
to awaiting EMS units.
Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Fighters Matthew D. Laura,
Daniel Leyden, and Henry Sullivan entered the structure ahead of
a hose
line and began searching, despite the high heat and limited
visibility. The crews located an unconscious child
who had crawled under a bed.
They removed the young victim to the exterior of the house to awaiting
EMS units.
Berwyn
Heights Volunteer Fire Fighters Ben Ross and Chris Hagen, notwithstanding the high heat and limited visibility,
and without the protection a hose line, located an unconscious female
under a bed. They removed her through a
bedroom window, where other
firefighters brought her to the front yard to awaiting paramedics.
Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant Russell L. Poe, III,
and Fire Fighter/Medics John W. Godenick and Ryan A. Shipp
performed multiple
assignments that demonstrated leadership and the ability to operate as
a team of firefighters
and paramedics.
College
Park Volunteer Chief William Corrigan assumed command of a very busy fire
scene, with fire still consuming the front portion of the house and several
crews working inside on suppression and search and rescue of three trapped
occupants. Chief Corrigan diligently directed and maintained crew
location and accountability and ordered additional EMS resources, as the need
continued to grow with each victim removed from the home.
For his
ability to initially manage and command a busy fire scene and his thinking and
actions that enabled him to transition and utilize each of his skills as a fire
officer, firefighter, and paramedic, Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant Russell L.
Poe, III is awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
For their
personal risk in entering a burning structure in advance of a charged hose line
and searching and locating unconscious occupants in nearly untenable
conditions, Volunteer Sergeant Timothy Curran, Volunteer Fire Fighter Daniel
Leyden, Volunteer Fire Fighters Matthew D. Lauria, Henry Sullivan, Troy
Dannenfelser, Ben Ross, and Chris Hagen are awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
For their
ability to follow instructions, initially operate independently without their
officer, and to extinguish the fire and then immediately transition into
patient care, Fire Fighter/Medic John W. Godenick and Fire Fighter/Medic Ryan
A. Shipp are awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
For his
ability and due diligence in administering advanced life support care,
including the administration of a drug only recently approved and administered
under extremely adverse conditions, Paramedic Captain Danny Hughes is hereby
awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
For his
overall performance on a very busy scene and maintaining command and control of
multiple firefighting and EMS crews operating inside and outside a structure
well involved with fire, Volunteer Fire Chief William Corrigan is awarded a
Bronze Medal of Valor.
This is
Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant Poe’s second Medal of Valor, having received the
Bronze in 2005.
This is
Paramedic Captain Hughes’ second Medal of Valor, having received the Silver in
2005 and was also named Paramedic of the Year.
This is
Volunteer Fire Fighter Ben Ross’ second Medal of Valor, having received
the Bronze in 2009.
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER MICHAEL W. SHIPP
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| Photo by Michael J. Yourishin |
On
Friday, August 12, 2011, Fire Fighter Michael W. Shipp was a member of the crew
onboard the ambulance from Morningside Fire/EMS Station 827, which was
transporting a patient to a hospital. The unit was traveling on the
Capital Beltway and approaching Forestville Road, when Fire Fighter Shipp
noticed a cloud of dark smoke and what appeared to be flames underneath a
Hummer SUV. Fire Fighter Shipp promptly contacted Public Safety
Communications to advise them of the matter and to request additional
resources. The SUV’s driver was engaged in conversation on her cell phone,
making it difficult to alert her to the situation. Fire Fighter Shipp
positioned the ambulance behind the SUV and continued his attempt to capture
the woman’s attention. Upon finally getting her attention, the woman
remained on the phone and even accelerated before eventually pulling onto the
right shoulder. She did not readily believe the SUV was on fire, and Fire
Fighter Shipp had to physically remove her from the vehicle. Once the
woman realized her vehicle really was on fire, she proceeded to the ambulance,
where the crew kept her out of harm’s way. Meanwhile, Fire Fighter Shipp
attempted to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher; however, the fire
had intensified and within seconds the vehicle was fully engulfed in
flames. His quick thinking and immediate action are directly responsible
for changing the outcome of what potentially could have been a tragedy.
For quick
thinking, zeal, and judgment, Fire Fighter Michael W. Shipp is awarded a Bronze
Medal of Valor.
This is
Fire Fighter Shipp’s second Medal of Valor, having the received Gold and
named Fire Fighter of the Year in 2000.
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC MICHAEL P. CONWAY, JR.
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER TRAVIS MURDOCH
On the morning
of November 25, 2011, Fire Fighter/Medic Michael P. Conway, Jr. and Volunteer
Fire Fighter Travis Murdoch were members of the crew on board the Engine from
Bowie Fire/EMS Station 839, which was dispatched to 14140 Pleasant View Drive
for the report of a house fire with people trapped. Upon entering the
two-story, single-family dwelling, Fire Fighter Conway and Volunteer Fire
Fighter Murdoch encountered heavy “blacked-out” smoke conditions and intense
heat in the first floor hallway. Locating the steps, and without the
protection of a hose line, they began searching aggressively for the two adults
and three children reportedly trapped in the home. Fire Fighter Conway
entered a room and immediately located an adult female and four young female
victims. Fire Fighter Conway then helped the victims to an exterior
balcony, where Volunteer Fire Fighter Murdoch assisted with removing three of
them from the balcony and onto the ladder. The three 12-year-old patients
were turned over to the care of awaiting paramedics, who assessed them and
transported them to the hospital. For mobility reasons, the adult female
was unable to exit via the ladder. A decision was made to remove her by
way of the interior stairwell. Fire Fighter Conway removed his face piece
and placed it on the victim, and with the assistance of an officer on the
scene, she was removed to safety.
The three
young females were treated and released from the hospital later that day;
however, the adult female was hospitalized for several days before being
released.
For great
personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Fire Fighter/Medic Michael P. Conway, Jr. is
awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
For
personal risk, zeal, and judgment, Volunteer Fire Fighter Travis Murdoch is
awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC EDWARD P. SCOTT
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC WILLIAM L. PHILPOTT, JR.
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER ASHLEY BUTLER
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| The Award presentation included young Christina Luckett and her grandmother. Christina was the victim described in the scenario. |
On the
evening of Monday, November 21, 2011, Prince George’s County firefighters
responded on the Engine from the Clinton Fire/EMS Station 825 for a report of a
medical emergency at 8501 Weimar Court. On arrival, they encountered an
adult family member attempting to administer a nebulizer treatment to a five-year-old
female.
Fire
Fighter/Medic Edward Scott and Volunteer Fire Fighter Ashley Butler assumed
care of the child and began assessing her condition. Fire Fighter/Medic
Philpott interviewed the child’s family members, in an effort to gather
pertinent information. During their assessment, Fire Fighter Scott and
Volunteer Fire Fighter Butler noticed the young girl’s lips were turning
blue. Suddenly, her respirations began to decrease, at which point she
coded. Immediately and without hesitation, Fire Fighter Scott initiated
CPR, while Fire Fighter Philpott contacted Public Safety Communications for an
estimated time of arrival of the ambulance and/or paramedic units. After
being notified that units were at least five minutes out, and recognizing the child
was in imminent danger, Fire Fighter Scott decided to go ahead and transport on
the Engine. The patient was revived en route to Southern Maryland
Hospital, where after a three-day stay she was discharged to home and is doing
very well. The quick thinking of the crew, and Fire Fighter/Medic Scott’s
decision to transport on the Engine, in spite of the challenges it would
present in performing CPR, undoubtedly saved the little girl’s life.
For the
initiative to “think outside the box,” zeal, and judgment, Fire Fighter/Medic
Edward P. Scott is awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
For zeal
and compassion, Fire Fighter/Medic William L. Philpott and Volunteer Fire
Fighter Ashley Butler are awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.
FIRE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Presented to
VOLUNTEER SAFETY DIVISION CHIEF STEFAN C. GANSERT
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| Photo by Michael J. Yourishin |
On March 27, 2011, Stefan C. Gansert was appointed as the
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department’s first Volunteer Safety Division
Chief. The position was established to oversee the administration and
operation of the Volunteer Safety Officer Program. Volunteer Safety
Division Chief Gansert has worked closely with the Risk Management and Safety
Office, under the Support Services Command, to bring together a group of
dedicated volunteer safety officers.
During his 22-year tenure with the Fire/EMS Department,
Chief Gansert served as a volunteer firefighter, chief officer, and safety
officer. He has attended countless hours of training, as well as numerous
safety-related courses and seminars. His current responsibilities include
serving in as advisor to all the volunteer safety officers; communicating and
interacting with Fire/EMS Department leaders regarding safety-related matters;
ensuring volunteer safety officer coverage for all working incidents and departmental
accidents occurring Monday thru Friday, between 1700 and 0700 hours;
investigating infractions of departmental rules and regulations; creating
and/or assisting in the development of innovative and routine safety training
programs; monitoring trends in fire and rescue department accidents;
researching and recommending enhancements to current program; coordinating and
conducting gear and station inspections and training; ensuring safety officer
vehicle maintenance; training safety officers; and performing all duties of a
safety officer and other required OSHA duties.
During Hurricane Irene, Chief Gansert acted as the safety
representative in the Emergency Operations Center. He successfully
coordinated safety officer coverage in the wake of both Hurricane Irene and the
August 2011 earthquake, having provided an unprecedented double the standard
coverage. Chief Gansert participates on several committees to improve
safety and risk management. He collaborates with Public Safety
Communications to ensure safety officers are appropriately dispatched on all
working incidents and departmental accidents. His accomplishments, while
impressive, are too numerous to cite in this forum.
Chief Gansert’s dedication, hard work, knowledge, and
experience through years of training, has greatly contributed to the success of
the Safety Officer Program. This achievement has directly impacted the
successful operation of the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, as a
whole. For this reason, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor is pleased name Volunteer
Safety Division Chief Stefan C. Gansert as the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS
Department’s 2011 Fire Fighter of the Year.
PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC AMY LYNN GUNN
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| Photo by Michael J. Yourishin |
Fire Fighter/Medic Amy Lynn Gunn is the embodiment of the
best qualities found in many of the excellent paramedics currently operating in
the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department. A nine-year veteran of the
Department, her professionalism and excellence in field care are known to her
coworkers—career and volunteer—hospital physicians and nursing staffs, and
paramedic students participating in clinical ride-alongs.
Fire Fighter/Medic Gunn is a nationally and State Certified
ALS Provider, Field Training Coach for County Paramedic Interns, and a
Paramedic Preceptor for visiting paramedic students. She is also a member of
the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Quality Assurance Medical Review
Committee, participating in formal actions to improve system-wide EMS response.
Off duty, Fire Fighter /Medic Gunn is a CPR Instructor, Paramedic Instructor at
Prince George’s Community College, and the Clinical EMS-Liaison between the
Community College and the Fire/EMS Department.
In 2011, on multiple emergency calls, Fire Fighter/Medic
Gunn effectively coordinated the actions of diverse teams composed of career
and volunteer Fire Fighter/EMTs, ALS interns, and paramedic students riding
along from multiple training institutions. While managing her teams and maintaining
her duties as an ALS Preceptor and Field Training Coach, she kept her sight on
the welfare of her patients. Her responses included the resuscitation of more 9
cardiac arrest patients. While post-resuscitation outcomes have varied
clinical significance, at a minimum, they allow patients and their families
opportunities that are otherwise lost.
One of Fire Fighter/Medic Gunn’s resuscitated patients, a
young man in his early 20’s, eventually became an organ donor, giving new-life
to many others—an action that may not have been possible without the work of
Fire Fighter/Medic Gunn. While “code saves” are meritus, valor is
also found in “the courage to continue.” In addition to her reputation
for quality work and a positive attitude, Fire Fighter/Medic Gunn has also
attracted an unfortunately true reputation as a magnet for some of the most
difficult and stressful call types a paramedic can encounter, including
numerous critical pediatric emergencies. Nonetheless, she perseveres,
bringing calm to chaos and outstanding patient care to those in
need.
For her overall professionalism, consistent excellence in
patient care, the courage to carry on, and dedication to all aspects of the
paramedic profession and the Fire/EMS Department, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor is
pleased to name Fire Fighter Amy Lynn Gunn as the Prince George’s County
Fire/EMS Department’s 2011 Paramedic of the Year.
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