Annual EMS Council ceremony recognizes more than 100
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Earl Taylor (third from left), a member of the Washington Hose Co. who also works as a deejay, poses with EMS officials after receiving the BLS Provider of the Year award.
More than two dozen Chester Countians are alive today because the county’s emergency services community intervened in their behalf during the past year.
Twenty-three residents survived a near-death experience, and four got their start before their mothers arrived at the hospital, said county officials, who celebrated those accomplishments on Thursday, May 22, at the awards banquet for the Chester County Emergency Medical Services Council Inc., an annual event celebrated during National EMS Week.
Held Thursday evening at the Red Clay Room in Kennett Square, the program honored a typically unheralded group of more than 5,000 – many of whom are volunteers – whose actions ranged from bringing people back from the dead to doubling as maternity wards.
Coatesville Police Officers Claire Lang and Sylvester Earle are recognized for their life-saving efforts on Nov. 3. Officer David Marquette, who was unable to attend the ceremony, was also honored.
The crowd of several hundred, dominated by emergency services providers, also included government officials and supporters. In addition to the awards honoring the life-saving skills of 91 first-responders, the program also singled out others for recognition, including two citizens that officials have been unable to contact since their heroics.
Officials said Vlatko Hajdek and Mark Ray, who each received the Citizens Award even though they didn’t attend the ceremony, were playing tennis at a club in East Whiteland Township on Nov. 25, 2013, when another player experienced cardiac arrest and dropped to the ground. The pair began CPR, enabling paramedics to take over and continue aid that subsequently led to the man’s discharge from the hospital – a result that would not have occurred without the men’s intervention.
Earl Taylor, a staff member of the Washington Hose Company in Coatesville, received the Basic Life Support Provider of the Year award for his
leadership, education and training contributions to emergency services. And another veteran first-responder in Malvern, Saveria “Sady” Sardone, received the Advanced Life Support Provider Award, which recognizes an advanced life support provider or pre-hospital nurse who makes significant contributions in education, leadership and training in emergency services.
The Telecommunicator of the Year Award went to Bradford Berry, an active dispatcher whose myriad contributions in 2013 included assisting a husband, who called 9-1-1 because his wife had gone into labor. The Nicholas H.S. Campbell Meritorious Service Award, named to honor one of the first paramedics in the county who also served as president of the EMS Council for several years, was given to Scott Thornton, the EMS chief for the Washington Hose Company and “a true leader.” Campbell’s friends and relatives assisted in bestowing the award.
Tammy Johnson of Good Fellowship was honored as the EMS Educator of the Year, and Dr. Edward Dickinson received the Margaret Hoover Brigham Award, an honor that pays tribute to the longtime Birmingham Township resident who was founder and first president of the Chester County EMS Council.
Members of the Southern Chester County Emergency Medical Services – Medic 94 pose with the award they received for distinguished service.
The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Southern Chester County EMS – Medic 94, an organization that was founded in 1983 and became an independent organization in 2001. It was applauded for its stellar service that has met the needs of the community for several decades.
The Robert Thompson Memorial Award, an honor that goes to an elected official who makes contributions to improving EMS systems, was given to Chester County Commissioners Ryan Costello, Kathi Cozzone, and Terence Farrell for their work in improving communications and providing the Chester County Public Safety Training Center in South Coatesville. The award pays tribute to Thompson, a former state senator, county commissioner, and Chester County EMS Council board member.
CLINICAL SAVE HONOREES – members of the Chester county emergency services community involved in the pre-hospital clinical save of a patient using either CPR or the automated External Defibrillator (AED).
- Dan Syme (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 1/31/13
Gabriel Gray (West Grove Fire Co-22)
Andrew Moore (West Grove Fire Co-22)
- Everett Carpenter (Malvern Fire Co-4) 2/9/13
Mark Scanlon (Malvern Fire Co-4)
- Joseph Marks (Malvern Fire Co-4) 4/5/13
Saveria Sardone (Malvern Fire Co-4)
David Meadows Jr. (Goshen Fire Co-54)
Matthew Valocchi (Goshen Fire Co-54)
- John Ripple (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 4/30/13
Marc Perry (SCCEMS-Medic 94)
Chris Haines (West Grove Fire Co-22)
John Crowley (West Grove Fire Co-22 )
- Amanda Csanady (Minquas EMS-46) 5/29/13
Rebecca Scura (Minquas EMS -46)
Tye Weaver (Minquas EMS-46)
Glenn Heininger (Minquas EMS-46)
- Rebecca Scura (Minquas EMS-46) 5/30/13
Amanda Csanady (Minquas EMS-46)
Glenn Heininger (Minquas EMS-46)
- Alex Christ (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 7/6/13
Deputy Brad M. Desando (CCSheriff Dept)
George Morris (Westwood EMS-44)
Allen Wood Jr. (Oxford EMS-21)
Kourtney Kluczynski (Oxford EMS-21)
Andrew McGinn (Oxford EMS-21)
- Andrew Englander (Twin Valley Fire Dept-69) 7/18/13
Darryl Romig (Twins Valley Fire Dept-69)
Jospeh Carmen (Elverson EMS-89)
Bruce Belgarde (Twin Valley Fire Dept-69)
Duane Leaman (Elverson EMS-89)
John Aiden Bicer (Elverson EMS-89)
Jeffrey Burroughs (Elverson EMS-89)
Scot Kreger (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
Kelly Lamkin (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
- Michael Borrello (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91) 7/27/13
Rachael Kinsey (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Grace Votta (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Carlos E. Rodriguez-Gonzalez (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Alexander McCarthy (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
- Saveria Sardone (Malvern EMS-4) 8/25/13
Charles Brogan (Malvern EMS-4)
Matthew Cole (Paoli EMS-3)
Christopher Totaro (Paoli EMS-3)
Kelly Raum (Paoli EMS-3)
- Saveria Sardone (Malvern EMS-4) 9/24/13
David Panetta (Malvern EMS-4)
Alex Davis (Malvern EMS-4)
Jason Drinkwater (Malvern EMS-4)
- Jerry Peters (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91) 10/19/13
Christina Rowley (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91-student)
David Martin (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Grace Votta (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Kyle O’Brien (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
- Theodore Fosselman (Washington Hose-Coatesville EMS-41) 11/3/13
Regina Solecki (Washington Hose-Coatesville EMS-41)
Dave Marquette Coatesviile PD
Sylvester Earle Coatesville PD
Craig Weaver Coatesville FD
Dave Aberts Coatesville FD
Josh Schreiber Coatesville FD
Claire Lang Coatesville PD
Robert Massarro (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
Robert Patterson (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
- Elizabeth McCall (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91) 11/8/13
William Wells Sr. (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91)
David Meadows Jr. (Goshen EMS-54)
Thomas Yervelli (Goshen EMS-54)
- Michael Borrello (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91) 11/19/13
Robert Guiney (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91)
Tyler Hamlin (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
Ian Sadock (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
J. Tyler Kelly (Goodfellowship EMS-55)
- Elizabeth McCall (Chester County Hospital-Medic 91 11/23/13
Matthew Valocchi (Goshen EMS-54)
Lee Greenberg (Goshen EMS-54)
- Keith Johnson (Malvern EMS-4) 11/25/13
Richard Constantine (Malvern EMS-4)
Brian Gathercole (East Whiteland EMS-5)
John Stewart (East Whiteland EMS-5)
- Donald Keith (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 11/25/13
Larry Politowicz (Oxfored EMS-21)
Vietta Wood (Oxford EMS-21)
- Glenn Heininger (Minquas EMS-46) 12/21/13
Joseph Colace (Minquas EMS-46)
William Buttner (Minquas EMS-46)
Tamara Wolters (Minquas EMS-46)
Anthony Lauderdale (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
Hazel Stanton (Brandywine Hospital-Medic 93)
Joe Crawford (West Bradford Fire Co-39)
Steven Curdo (West Bradford Fire Co-39)
- Gary Hartung (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 12/25/13
Alex Christ (SCCEMS-Medic 94)
Jack Wilkins (Avondale EMS-23)
Dennis Bisson (Avondale EMS-23)
- Glenn Heininger (Minquas EMS-46) 12/26/13
Amanda Csanady (Minquas EMS-46)
Joseph Colace (Minquas EMS-46)
Michael Galli (Minquas EMS-46)
- Steve Krivanich (SCCEMS-Medic 94) 1/11/14
Kim Harvey (SCCEMS-Medic 94)
Brian Vickers (West Grove EMS-22)
Larry Politowicz (West Grove EMS-22)
Robert Dando. (West Grove EMS-22)
Danielle Hughes (West Grove EMS-22)
Justin Gattorno (West Grove EMS-22)
Matthew Wood (West Grove EMS-22)
- David Meadows Sr. (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65) 1/23/14
David Meadows Jr. (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65)
Matthew Fink (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65)
Kevin Gordon (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65)
Cody Gable (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65)
Andrew Gable (Phoenixville Fire Dept.-65)
MATERNITY HONOREES – EMS personnel who assisted in the delivery of a baby in the field.
- Pamela Hoadley (boy)
- Bradford Berry (girl)
- Thomas Q. McFadien (boy)
Kelly Ratcliff
Stephanie Klingler
- Adam Huff (girl)
Hazel Stanton
Amanda Csanady
