DOTHAN, Ala. – This week is about reflecting on the life-saving role that first responders play in the community, often at great personal risk to themselves.
From law enforcement, paramedics, and firefighters, to dispatch services and out-of-hospital medical care providers, emergency medical services are vital to the public and can improve the survival or recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury.
Dothan and Houston County officials and first responders celebrated Emergency Medical Services Week with the theme “THIS IS EMS: Caring for our Communities” at a free appreciation luncheon at the Wiregrass Public Safety Center on Wednesday.
“Through this COVID year, it had been a very trying and challenging year and one of the takeaways that this theme this year really brings out is the teamwork,” Battalion Chief Sean Gibson said. “We’ve communicated more, we planned more, we’ve shared more, we stressed more, and we’ve all suffered. So this year, like I say, we have definitely come together to serve our community.”
Gibson said the pandemic year has made the job harder due to more preparation and protocols for handling patients without knowing their COVID-19 status and a higher level of communication needed to treat and transport patients.
During the event, Gibson presented the John T. Ingram award, or the “Emergency Medical Technician of the Year” award, to Shelton Cross, a freshman firefighter with the Dothan Fire Department.The “Paramedic of the Year” award was presented to Sgt. Steven Romo.
