LIFESAVING AWARD:

Recognizes an EMS provider who, while in an off-duty or volunteer capacity, makes an extremely noteworthy contribution to efforts which result in the saving of a life.

Richard Gonzales - Manteca, San Joaquin County EMS Agency

While off-duty and driving home, Paramedic Gonzales observed a small brush fire alongside rural Highway 120 in San Joaquin County. Curious of its cause, Gonzales pulled his vehicle over to investigate. Upon closer inspection, Gonzales discovered the fire was caused by a car that had veered off the road, taken out a power pole and come to rest partially engulfed in flames on the backside of an embankment. Hearing screams from inside, Gonzales made his way to the vehicle, cautiously avoiding the live downed power lines and opened the driver-side door, after which point the dashboard burst into flames. Gonzales quickly extricated the driver and carried him away from the vehicle just before it became fully engulfed in flames and provided patient care until EMS personnel arrived on scene. It was the consensus of the responding personnel that the victim would not have survived had it not been for Gonzales’ quick thinking and bravery.

Matthew Morse – Commerce, Los Angeles County Fire Department

While vacationing with two colleagues along the Colorado River, EMT Morse observed a paddle boarder yelling at him that there was an unresponsive woman floating face-down in the water. Upon locating the woman in the water, Morse and his colleagues rushed to the nearest boat and sped towards the woman while an onlooker called 911. Upon reaching the unresponsive woman, the trio managed to pull her out of the water and place her on her side atop the paddle board, all the while navigating a swift current. Once on shore, the trio ensured the woman’s airway was clear and administered CPR before the woman vomited and slowly regained consciousness and normal breathing.

Andy Nicassio – Commerce, Los Angeles County Fire Department

While vacationing with two colleagues along the Colorado River, EMT Nicassio observed a paddle boarder yelling at him that there was an unresponsive woman floating face-down in the water. Upon locating the woman in the water, Nicassio and his colleagues rushed to the nearest boat and sped towards the woman while an onlooker called 911. Upon reaching the unresponsive woman, the trio managed to pull her out of the water and place her on her side atop the paddle board, all the while navigating a swift current. Once on shore, the trio ensured the woman’s airway was clear and administered CPR before the woman vomited and slowly regained consciousness and normal breathing.

David Nicassio – Commerce, Los Angeles County Fire Department

While vacationing with two colleagues along the Colorado River, EMT Nicassio observed a paddle boarder yelling at him that there was an unresponsive woman floating face-down in the water. Upon locating the woman in the water, Nicassio and his colleagues rushed to the nearest boat and sped towards the woman while an onlooker called 911. Upon reaching the unresponsive woman, the trio managed to pull her out of the water and place her on her side atop the paddle board, all the while navigating a swift current. Once on shore, the trio ensured the woman’s airway was clear and administered CPR before the woman vomited and slowly regained consciousness and normal breathing.

MEDAL OF VALOR:

Recognizes an EMT for acts of personal valor or heroism in the delivery of emergency medical care, which results in the saving of a life under extreme conditions and/or in extraordinary circumstances.

Casey Chesier – Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Upon receiving a dispatch call reporting a vehicle that had crashed and rolled down a cliff off Angeles Crest Highway, Deputy Chesier and his colleague responded to the scene in their rescue helicopter. Upon arriving on scene, Chesier observed a vehicle containing four passengers resting precariously atop a 300 foot, supported only by a single small tree. Chesier and his colleague immediately repelled to the vehicle from their rescue helicopter and observed that the four passengers had all suffered traumatic injuries, including one 12 year old girl who had become pinned between the vehicle and the tree supporting the vehicle. After extricating the first three passengers, Chesier and his colleague made a potentially life-threatening decision to cut the safety lines that had been put in place to prevent the vehicle from plummeting down the cliff as this was the only foreseeable way to extricate the pinned victim. Once the safety lines had been cut, Chesier was able to extricate the severely injured victim and transport them all to Huntington Memorial Hospital.

James Moss – Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Upon receiving a dispatch call reporting a vehicle that had crashed and rolled down a cliff off Angeles Crest Highway, Deputy Moss and his colleague responded to the scene in their rescue helicopter. Upon arriving on scene, Moss observed a vehicle containing four passengers resting precariously atop a 300 foot, supported only by a single small tree. Moss and his colleague immediately repelled to the vehicle from their rescue helicopter and observed that the four passengers had all suffered traumatic injuries, including one 12 year old girl who had become pinned between the vehicle and the tree supporting the vehicle. After extricating the first three passengers, Moss and his colleague made a potentially life-threatening decision to cut the safety lines that had been put in place to prevent the vehicle from plummeting down the cliff as this was the only foreseeable way to extricate the pinned victim. Once the safety lines had been cut, Moss was able to extricate the severely injured victim and transport them all to Huntington Memorial Hospital.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD:

Recognizes an individual for a meritorious act or service within EMS. This award also recognizes an EMT for an act that is above and beyond the call of duty in the course of a particular EMS emergency or event.

Theresa Conrad – Rancho Cucamonga, American Medical Response

While returning to National City in an ambulance in slow traffic on Interstate 5 south, Paramedic Conrad and her colleague heard a loud crash behind their vehicle, which turned out to be the impact from one vehicle traveling at 40 MPH rear-ending a stopped vehicle. As one of the vehicles immediately became engulfed in flames, Conrad turned on the ambulance’s emergency lights and observed two passengers inside the burning vehicle. Without hesitation, Conrad and her partner exited their ambulance and put themselves at risk to extricate the two passengers from the burning vehicle. Despite receiving burns of her own during the extrication, Conrad and her partner were able to extricate the two passengers to safety and provide emergency care until EMS personnel arrived on scene.  

Heidi Whitman – San Diego, American Medical Response

While returning to National City in an ambulance in slow traffic on Interstate 5 south, Paramedic Whitman and her colleague heard a loud crash behind their vehicle, which turned out to be the impact from one vehicle traveling at 40 MPH rear-ending a stopped vehicle. As one of the vehicles immediately became engulfed in flames, Whitman turned on the ambulance’s emergency lights and observed two passengers inside the burning vehicle. Without hesitation, Whitman and her partner exited their ambulance and put themselves at risk to extricate the two passengers from the burning vehicle. Despite receiving burns of her own during the extrication, Whitman and her partner were able to extricate the two passengers to safety and provide emergency care until EMS personnel arrived on scene.  

Carl Dennett – Tecopa, Southern Inyo Fire Protection District

In his capacity of administrative chief, Dennett has seemingly made the impossible possible by breathing new life into the once-flagging Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD). Coming out of retirement, Dennett agreed to assume responsibility for all the administrative duties of SIFPD, that prior to then had not been addressed in any capacity for several years. The lack of administrative oversight had negatively affected the district’s ability to recruit and train EMS professionals, as well as provide emergency services to the community. Dennett took it upon himself to build an EMT-P training and recruitment program from the ground up, and establish relationships with local law enforcement and fire to promote his new program and gain recruits. Today, SIFPD has a smoothly operating, professional EMS operation thanks to Dennett’s tenacity and dedication to proving excellent patient care.

Steve Doucette – Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Working as a tactical paramedic/deputy since 2006, Deputy Doucette observed that there was a lack of training opportunities for patrol deputies in tactical medicine in the Los Angeles area. Leveraging his years of technical knowledge and experience, Doucette took the initiative to develop a tactical medicine training program for local law enforcement. In addition, Doucette designed a special tactical kit that can be worn on deputies’ belts. To date, Doucette has trained and outfitted 1,500 Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies in tactical medicine, and worked with Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to certify an additional 150 deputies as tactical medics. The training and tactical kit developed by Doucette have been directly attributed to several field saves.

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD:

Recognizes an EMT who provides noteworthy patient care and treatment during the course of their duties. Clinical Excellence Awards are presented at the recipients’ home stations, not at the EMS Awards Ceremony in San Francisco.

Ryan Avelar - Atwater, Riggs Ambulance Service
For extricating and transporting a severely injured automobile crash victim from his burning vehicle on January 18, 2015.

Brian Ballentine – Neenach, Los Angeles County Fire Department
For providing excellent patient care to a cardiac arrest victim on December 19, 2015.

Eric Watts – Turlock, Riggs Ambulance Service
For extricating and transporting a severely injured automobile crash victim from his burning vehicle on January 18, 2015.