February 28, 2013 MR 13-01 [Bridgeville, Del.] – The Nanticoke Rotary Club recently honored four Sussex County paramedics for outstanding service as part of the civic organization’s annual service awards.
Paramedics Carl Davis, Glenda Pusey, John Wright, and Rob Walker were honored during a ceremony held at Heritage Shores in Bridgeville on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Each recipient was presented a plaque by his or her immediate supervisor and congratulated by those in attendance, including Sussex County Council President Michael H. Vincent, County Administrator Todd F. Lawson, and Emergency Medical Services Director Robert Stuart.
Roy Ball, Clinical Nurse Specialist from the University of Maryland Shock Trauma, was the guest speaker and highlighted a recent event where rapid response from first responders, local volunteer ambulance companies and paramedics made the difference in a life-and-death situation.
“These individuals are representative of the Rotary’s main objective of service in the community, in the workplace and around the world. They represent of all of our paramedics and define what we are all about at Sussex County EMS – ‘Caring People, Quality Service,’ ” EMS Director Stuart said. “They each have their own personalities and talents, but they all share a common thread, a caring attitude and a desire to help their department and their community. They are all truly deserving of these awards.”
Each recipient was introduced by his or her immediate supervisor. The supervisors included Mike Pusey, A-shift; Robbie Murray, Operations Manager; Glenn Marshall, C-shift; and Andy Wile, D-shift.
Each award recipient was honored for his or her many accomplishments and contributions to the EMS system. The winners are, as nominated by their respective supervisors:
Carl Davis
Paramedic Carl Davis has been employed with Sussex County EMS for 12 years and is currently a Paramedic Level Two. Over the past eight years, Carl has been dedicating many onduty and off-duty hours creating emergency preparedness plans for the citizens of Sussex County. Carl is active within the community by being involved within his local neighborhood watch, Citizens Corps of Sussex County, and as an avid amateur radio operator. Recently, Carl received a Phoenix award for saving a life of a patient who was in cardiac arrest.
Glenda Pusey
Glenda Pusey has been employed with Sussex County Emergency Medical Services for the past 21 years and is currently the B-Shift West Supervisor. She is very dedicated to helping people in crisis, no matter the cause. She is a strong patient advocate and will do whatever she can to help those in need. During the past 21 years, Glenda has been very active with the department. She is a member of the Standard Operating Procedures and Safety work groups and frequently attends the equipment and field training officer meetings. Glenda has been involved within SCEMS by becoming a Basic and Advanced Life support instructor, field training officer and a supervisor for the past nine years. She has earned two associate’s degrees in paramedic technology and laboratory technology, and earned a bachelor’s degree in human resource management. In her spare time, Glenda enjoys hunting, fishing, reading, antiquing and helping her church. Glenda’s desire to help out her community, her patient’s and all of the citizens of Sussex County is what makes her deserving of this year’s Nanticoke Rotary Award.
John Wright
John Wright joined SCEMS as a student in April 2004 and rapidly advanced in rank and stature within the department. John has been very active with SCEMS throughout his tenure serving as the Hazmat Training Officer, Medic Assist Co-Chair, and Field Training Officer. John achieved the rank of Paramedic III during the last year, a position that places him regularly in a supervisory role in addition to duties as a Field Training Officer. John was awarded Paramedic of the Year in 2010 and continuously works to broaden his knowledge and skill levels by researching new medical and hazardous material practices to implement and share with his peers. John also excels with personal interaction with patients, family members and other agencies regularly receiving letters of appreciation reinforcing John’s status as an excellent and compassionate paramedic. He is active in the community serving with the Frankford Fire Department since 1998 and developed through the ranks to hold the position of fire chief from 2011 to 2012. As his supervisor, Glenn Marshall, noted, “I have had the opportunity to watch John develop into a person that I have great pride and respect for and know that Sussex County EMS’s future is in great hands.”
Rob Walker
Rob Walker moved to Sussex County from Washington state two years ago, where he was trained as a paramedic the previous year. Rob has been in emergency services for more than 20 years as a volunteer emergency medical technician basic, before leaving behind his career to become a paramedic. Before his paramedic career, Rob spent two decades in the radio industry as the operations and program manager for Intercom and Clear Channel Communications. He brought his leadership, marketing, coaching and education skills to Sussex County EMS. Rob immediately used his marketing skills to develop some education and training programs within SCEMS. He also networked using his social media contacts to recruit a few other paramedics from across the country. Rob is also active on the department’s equipment committee, and he has several educational, recruiting, and public education projects in the works – all in less than two years. During Hurricane Sandy, Rob was recruited to act as a public information officer at the Emergency Operations Center providing updates and interviews with the media. Rob Walker is a dedicated healthcare professional who serves his community and Sussex County EMS with honesty, integrity, a commitment to customer service, and his desire to constantly raise the bar.
Sussex County Emergency Medical Services would like to thank the Nanticoke Rotary Seaford for providing an outstanding dinner and awards ceremony. Sussex County EMS would also like to recognize and thank the event’s sponsors: Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Craig Technologies, The Car Store, I.G. Burton, Community Bank Delaware, Genesis Health Services, Nanticoke Cardiology, Tower Signs LLC., Andy and Lisa Wile and Sussex County Council.
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For more information, please contact Eric Huovinen at (302) 854-5255.