Governor's Recognition of EMS Responders and Organizations

Shortly after the field interviews were completed and the initial data analysis done, it became apparent that EMS field responders, hospital emergency department staff and administrators and some other agency staff had gone beyond the call of duty to risk their own lives to save or care for the injured. At the request of EMS Authority's Interim Director, the Governor made the decision to formally recognize these heroic acts. LAEMSA identified organizations that they felt met this criteria and asked each to nominate specific individuals to receive personal recognition. An awards ceremony was held at Saint Francis Medical Center. EMTs and staff from the fire service, private ambulance companies, public agencies, and volunteer groups were recognized for their contribution (see appendix for a list of award recipients). EMS Authority's Interim Director stated in his speech that: The people that we recognize today are heroes and heroines. What is a hero or heroine? Drawing upon the American Heritage Dictionary, it's any person recognized or noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose; especially, one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. These people here today show us that a hero is not someone on a white horse that we can't touch or be. It's someone like them, like us, citizens of our community. They risked their lives to rescue and care for their fellow citizens. In doing so they set aside their own immediate safety and served a higher good, the community good. These people being rewarded today were nominated because of their particularly meritorious actions to represent all of the emergency medical responders in the field, hospitals, and emergency operations centers. By recognizing these EMS heroes we also remember and recognize the citizens who live in the disaster area who risked their own lives to make rescues, and to help and protect emergency medical responders (Appendix E).

Medical Care for the Injured

Continue to The Injured and Their Injuries

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