Rockland County Ceremony, Competition Kicks Off EMS Week May 18

Rockland County acknowledges Emergency Medical Services Week on Sunday with the fourth annual EMS Awards Ceremony and Youth Squad EMS Competition. 

In celebration of EMS Week, May 18 through 24, the county will host the awards ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Fire Training Center in Pomona. During the ceremony several EMS Providers will be recognized for their contributions to their EMS agencies, communities, and county. 

The County's Annual Youth Squad EMS Competition at 1 p.m. 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 Rockland County Executive Ed 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."

Along with providers’ families and friends, officials and community leaders will attend the competition and ceremony.

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."

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.