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Sussex County presented its annual awards during the Emergency Medical Services banquet Friday, May 9, at the Seaford Fire Hall.
Sussex County Volunteer Ambulance Association’s EMT/B of the Year Awards went to Frank DeFord of Greenwood and Mercy Berry of Ellendale; Jeff Hill of Laurel earned the Clifford Lee Award.
Shift Excellence Awards
Each year, supervisors select individuals who have done an outstanding job, meriting Shift Excellence Awards. These awards were presented during continuing education sessions in May. The winners were also recognized during the annual EMS banquet. The A-shift award went to paramedic Ray Fulkrod of Millsboro. The B-shift award went to paramedic Travis Woodyard of Lewes. Paramedic David Hammerer of Newark earned the C-shift award, and Brandon Donaway of Dagsboro won the award for D-shift.
Fulkrod was selected for his work on various committees and his duties as a field training officer. He was recently appointed chairman of the safety board and was also involved in rewriting the process that certifies and trains paramedics from out of state who come to work for Sussex County EMS. Fulkrod has been with Sussex County Emergency Medical Service (SCEMS) since 2002.
Woodyard made recommendations for improvements to the shift’s operations and became a field training officer during the past year. He is active as an advanced cardiac life-support and pediatric life-support instructor, and he serves on the special events, recruiting and equipment committees.
Hammerer is very active on the standard operating procedures, EKG and special events committees. These groups set polices, determine the accuracy of cardiac rhythm interpretations and provide medical coverage for festivals and community events. In addition to his committee work, Hammerer’s paramedic skills and knowledge are well above average, and he was recently involved in saving the life of a fellow firefighter during a house fire in Rehoboth Beach.
Donaway was selected because of his career of exemplary service. He is on five department work groups and chairs a fifth, as well as is active on the HazMed team. He has helped shape the shift and department as a senior medic and mentor on many occasions. He is also a member of the Dagsboro Fire Company.
Special Recognition Awards
During the ceremony, several people were recognized for providing life-saving care to the public and members of the emergency services community. This year’s Lifesaver Award went to Robbie Brode of Harrington.
While working as a police officer for the Bridgeville Police Department in August, Brode responded to a report of a child choking. Arriving prior to SCEMS, he found a 3-year-old child who had choked on a hot dog. After determining the child was cyanotic, not breathing and unresponsive, Brode began delivering back blows to the child, which dislodged a large piece of hot dog from the child’s airway. By the time SCEMS arrived, the child was breathing normally and was responsive and alert.
Brode is a veteran firefighter with the Harrington Volunteer Fire Company and recently joined the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Lifesaver Awards went to Bethany Beach Lt. Mickey Wisseman and Sgt. Jason Hudson, firefighter Anthony Donofrio, Hammerer, firefighter Jason Hudson, Rehoboth Beach dispatchers Dustin Crago and Scott Clark, paramedic Glenn Marshall and paramedic Robert Mauch.
Rehoboth Beach volunteer firefighter and engineer Walter Brittingham was operating the pump at the scene of a structure fire in Dewey Beach in February, when he suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest. Wisseman, Hudson, Donofrio and Hammerer quickly rushed to Brittingham’s side and began basic life support care. They applied the automated external defibrillator and delivered a single shock, which restored his pulse. Rehoboth 911 dispatchers Crago and Clark rapidly coordinated the response of advance-life-support and basic-life-support resources. Marshall and Mauch arrived shortly thereafter to provide advanced life support.
Lifesaver Awards also went to emergency medical technicians Berry and DeFord.
An ambulance from the Millsboro Fire Department was returning from a call in January this year, when it was struck broadside by a sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Beaver Dam and Indian Mission roads. Emergency medical technicians DeFord, Berry and paramedic John Schmitt were on board. The force of the crash created an opening in the side of the patient compartment, through which paramedic Schmitt was thrown, causing multiple injuries, including a severe head injury, as he landed on the pavement. DeFord, who also sustained head and neck injuries, and Berry, who sustained a back injury, rushed to Schmitt’s aid. Recognizing the seriousness of his injuries, they called for a full advanced-life-support response. Without regard for their own injuries, DeFord and Berry secured and maintained an open airway and manual spinal immobilization, and they provided basic-life-support care until the arrival of responding units.
DeFord and Schmitt were transported via helicopter to the Level I Trauma Center at Christiana Hospital, while Berry was taken by ambulance to Beebe Medical Center; all three survived their injuries. DeFord’s and Berry’s actions in coming immediately to Schmitt’s aid in spite of their own injuries were instrumental in saving his life.
Sussex County EMS Awards
The SCEMS Supervisor of the Year Award went to Eric Huovinen of Millville, who has served as district supervisor for the past four years. Huovinen has 17 years of service with SCEMS and is an active member of the Millville Fire Company.
The Field Training Officer of the Year Award was presented to Fred Haas of Selbyville, who serves as the assistant coordinator of the HazMed team and has designed training programs for the Tox Medic program and hazardous materials. In addition, he serves as a technical consultant to the Delaware Office of Public Health Preparedness.
Bob Parson earned the Emergency Communications Specialist of the Year Award for using the latest features of the system to their fullest advantage and providing complete, accurate information to the personnel in the field. He is a member of the Carlisle Fire Company in Milford and a past chief of Memorial Fire Company in Slaughter Beach.
SCEMS presented the EMS Nurse of the Year Award to Jen Light of Beebe Medical Center. Light is a veteran Beebe Emergency Department nurse whose care in the hospital is characterized by those who nominated her as empathetic and compassionate. She is also a volunteer with the Roxana Fire Company.
The EMS Physician of the Year Award went to Dr. Sean Finnerty of Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, who joined the staff of Nanticoke Hospital’s Emergency Room just last year. Within a short time, he built a relationship with the paramedics based on mutual respect and confidence.
Douglas Boocock of Millsboro earned the Administrative Excellence Award for his duties as technical services assistant. Among his responsibilities are providing uniforms and equipment for more than 100 paramedics and ensuring the paramedics have the medical supplies they need. Boocock is also a member of department’s Honor Guard Team, which represents Sussex County at several special events, including the National EMS Memorial Service in Roanoke, Va.
Gary Walls of the Roxana Fire Company earned the EMT/B of the Year Award for his diligent work in bringing the fire department’s rehabilitation unit to reality.
The unit responds to working fires and multialarm incidents with water, food and supplies to keep emergency workers safe during large-scale incidents. He was a driving force behind its establishment.
Jay Shine of Millsboro, named the paramedic of the year, is known as an excellent clinician, teacher, leader and expert in hazardous materials. Shine is also an outstanding educator and very active as the HazMed Team training officer and the Bike Team maintenance officer.
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