MEMSA 2007 Awards

Non-transporting Service of the Year

MEMSA is proud to recognize Cooke City EMS Non-transporting Service of the Year, 2007. This group of 8 EMT-First Responders is dedicated and then some. They are strictly volunteers, some living 30 miles away, who still come to this community to take pager call on their free time. Many of their 45 calls a year are completed under dangerous and challenging conditions. They respond much of the time on snowmobiles, ATVs and on foot, in some of Montana’s most challenging mountain and wilderness areas. Their calls can last for several hours because of their isolated site. The closest medical clinic facility is 55 miles away from their community and the nearest Hospital is 85 miles away, in another state. They must reach the patient, prepare him or her for transport and then get the patient to a convenient site for ambulance or helicopter pick up…all the time caring for the needs of the patient, and many times, upset family members, until an ambulance service arrives. Day or night, 24/7, these responders put themselves in harms way to rescue people in dire need of medical attention. For their dedication and continued devotion to the care of all those who live in or vacation in their area.

Ambulance Service of the Year

MEMSA is pleased to name Darby Ambulance Service the Ambulance Service of the Year, 2007.  Serving a rural community in southwestern Montana, this service currently has 13 active members who provide BLS and ALS treatment care. Working in a challenging terrain, they work together professionally and personally to provide their community and surrounding area with around-the-clock care, 24/7.  They help each other on calls and whatever the need is…they are a family of dedicated volunteers as well as good friends. They provide standby service for local events whenever possible.  Eight of them are lead Instructors and help each other provide all levels of training from simple CPR/First aid for the community to EMT-B and module courses to train or advance train new people and current crewmembers. In the words of their director, “This is the most dedicated team of individuals I have had the pleasure to work with in my 32 years in EMS.” This is a service that not only strives to protect its community but often times is called to deal with the challenges of wild fires in it coverage area.

EMT of the Year 

This year MEMSA is recognizing two people who have had a tremendous impact on EMS in their community and in Montana for almost 40 years. She as a dispatcher and EMT-R responder and He as a member of the first EMT-B class offered in Montana in 1971, having provided EMS service for 38 years. Together they have provided medical dispatch, in the beginning, from their home…using the telephone as there were no pagers at that time. They have help build their home ambulance service to what it is today and for many years, have helped train new members of their service.  Some of their family members have also been involved in EMS because of their example of providing excellent service to their community  Both have recently retired from dispatching law enforcement and EMS calls from their home. We are proud to offer this dedicated couple MEMSA’s EMT of the Year Award, 2007. Congratulations to Gail and Topper Giono from Whitehall, Montana EMS.
 
Lead Instructor/Coordinator of the Year
 
MEMSA is proud to offer the Lead Instructor of the Year, 2007,  award  to, Clay Berger, Director of Services at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, in  Glasgow. This Lead Instructor/Coordinator, director of ambulance services, continually recruits and provides ongoing training for EMTs in northeastern Montana He also volunteers to provide class in area high schools, training students in CPR and First Aid. The STAT Air Service has benefited immensely from his expertise and dedication as their director.  He contributes to his community and the state of Montana as a first responder, a hazmat team member, high school volunteer trainer, EMT certification trainer and 9111/LEPC board member. He has been involved in EMS service since 1979 and has been the driving force in northeastern Montana for EMT training and certification. He is a true professional and not only looks out for the safety of his patients but also the safety of his fellow EMTs. His drive for the improvement of the emergency medical services provided by his home service and surrounding rural services has been a huge benefit to his county.
 

Quick Award Sumamry

• Cooke City EMS - Non-transporting Service
• Darby Ambulance Service - Ambulance Service of the Year
• Gail and Topper Giono of Whitehall - EMTs of the Year
• Clay Berger, Director of Services at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Glasgow - Lead Instructor of the Year

Thank you all who contributed nominations for these awards. If your favorite person or group was not recognized this year, please resubmit your nomination again next year. Please include as much information and community testimony as you can so we can get a thorough picture of your candidates when it comes time to decide who will receive the awards we offer to the membership. Thanks you all for your participation in our awards program. It was really great this year.