EMS Strong: Always in Service

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed the Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) bill and proclaimed "Emergency Medical Services Week" from November 3 - 10. In 1982, the observance moved to September and in 1992 the week moved to its current slot in May.  These moves were made to separate EMS Week from Fire Prevention week in October.

This year's theme: "EMS Strong: Always in Service," is a reminder that EMTs and paramedics remain committed to the tough work that requires passion, purpose and heart to carry out every day, often in difficult circumstances.

DSCC highlights a few of our EMTs and paramedics during National EMS Week (May 21 - 27) as a way to thank the DSCC EMS team for answering the call and providing quality care to associates and local community members in their time of need.

Justin Barber

Firefighter/Paramedic

How long have you been an EMT? 18 years Fire, 13 years EMS

How long have you worked at DSCC? 6 years at DSCC

Military service: United States Navy 2000 - 2004

What's it like to work as an EMT on DSCC? Working at DSCC, along with our mutual aid agreement to the City of Whitehall, allows me the chance to see a wide variety of EMS calls that can be both challenging and provide me with the chance to make a difference in somebody’s life, a difference that could otherwise be a potentially life threating event . I get the opportunity to save lives with tools, skills, and knowledge that otherwise are not readily available to the public. Let's all face it--doctors don't make house calls any more. That's a paramedic's job. It's a difference I want to make, it's a difference I can make, and--most importantly--it's a difference I get to make every day I go to work.

What's your most memorable call? Majority of EMS calls are usually from somebody having one of the worse days of their life. However, if you’re lucky enough in your career you might get one of those calls for help to bring life into this world instead of trying to save one. So for me, when I got the out of the ordinary call to deliver a child into this world, it easily became the most rewarding and memorable call of my life.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job? There is a saying in medicine, "We may cure seldom, but we can relieve often, and we should comfort always." Whether I make a difference by curing someone's illness or injuries, relieving their pain, or comforting them on their worst day, it doesn't matter. Because of me, someone's worst day will be a little bit better, and to me there is no greater reward.

Dustin Beckley

Firefighter/EMT

How long have you been an EMT? I attended my first Emergency Medical Technician Course in 2006.

How long have you worked at DSCC? I have been at DSCC for almost 3 years now.

Military service: United States Air Force 2007 - 2014

Why did you decide to become an EMT? Growing up there were a few times that I can remember EMS helped my family members. I think the exposure I had ultimately led me to a career as an EMS provider.

What's it like to work as an EMT on DSCC? To be an EMT on DSCC, it's a continually changing job description. No two days are alike, One day might be slower, while the next day seems that we spend all day responding to a variety of calls. The same can be said with the type of EMS calls we have. Some calls may seem minor, while other calls can be the difference between life and death.

What's your most memorable call? When thinking of the calls I as an EMS provider have encountered, there are a few that stand out. Yet, it would be hard to designate just one to discuss. They all have their differences - some strange, some that you have to laugh at and others that are a more somber experience. No two calls are identical, yet all of them share some similarity.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job? There's no other job that compares to the gratification that a career in EMS provides. There's no better reward than feeling like you made an impact on someone's day. This career field provides several opportunities to make an impact on strangers almost daily. In addition to the impact we as EMS providers can have on people in their time of need, another rewarding aspect is the bond we build with our coworkers. It truly is like a family.

Joe Dougher

Firefighter/Paramedic

How long have you been an EMT? I have been an EMT since 1995. Then I went on to become a paramedic in 2015.

How long have you worked at DSCC? I started working at DSCC in January 2017.

Military service: I spent 8 years active duty as an MP in the Army.

Why did you decide to become an EMT? I was a volunteer firefighter in Virginia and at the time I didn't have any EMS classes and couldn't assist in patient care. It was then that I decided to become an EMT so that I could do more to help people who were sick or injured.

What's it like to work as an EMT on DSCC? Working here at DSCC as an EMS provider is much different than other places I've worked. Some work days are much busier than others. It's great to have a variety of hospitals with different capabilities within the immediate area. This makes it better for each patient.

What's your most memorable call? A memorable call that I responded to was a two vehicle traffic accident (passenger car vs tractor trailer) with people trapped. A mother, daughter and the family dog were headed to return a rented movie. In an attempt to return the movie on time and not have a late charge, the driver proceeded through a stop sign and was struck by the tractor trailer. The car went over an embankment and overturned multiple times. The mother, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle then rolled on top of her. The mother was trapped under the car and unfortunately died at the scene. The daughter who was wearing a seatbelt survived the accident.
Like many other EMS providers, this is just one of many calls I remember. Some of those other memorable calls aren't this bad, however others are much worse.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job? The most rewarding part of this job is helping someone. At the time a person calls 911 for help, they’re having a bad day. To that person, it may be the worst day of their life. To show up, assist them with whatever problem they're having and many times get a smile and a “thank you for helping me” makes this job worth it time and time again.

Jason Stanley

Firefighter/EMT

How long have you been an EMT? 22 years

How long have you worked at DSCC? 9 year

Military service: I've been in the Air National Guard at Rickenbacker ANGB for 4 years. My rank is SSgt (Staff Sergeant) in the 121st MEDDET1 on Task Force CBRN-Medical (HRF-OH) where I'm a Search and Extraction Medic.

Why did you decide to be come an EMT? To help people in need and serve my community. To make a positive difference.

What's it like to work as an EMT at DSCC? Very dynamic! It's essentially a small community on a military installation but we also respond out into Whitehall to support their emergency services. It's truly the best of both worlds. Our environment is paramilitary so we have to conduct ourselves in that manner and yet at the same time we have the typical family atmosphere of a regular firehouse.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job? Most rewarding to me is definitely knowing you've saved or bettered someone's life and what you do every day actually makes a difference. We willingly go in harm's way and take on many emotional and personal burdens with this career so that others don't have to; but the satisfaction of a job well done outweighs any of the negative.