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As
part of Emergency Medical Services week in New Jersey, 36 individuals
and organizations are being recognized for life-saving actions and
efforts to provide high-quality emergency medical services in the
state, Health and Senior Services Commissioner Clifton R. Lacy,
M.D. announced today.
Governor
James E. McGreevey has proclaimed May 19 - 25 as EMS Week in the
State. Awards were presented May 20th at the fourth annual EMS Awards
Program and Dinner sponsored by the Department of Health and Senior
Services Office of Emergency Medical Services, in conjunction with
the New Jersey Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council.
"This
was a year of heroes and heroic actions. It is appropriate that
we honor New Jersey's outstanding citizens and organizations, and
thank them for their selfless service to help those in need,"
said Dr. Lacy. "Advances in emergency medical care have increased
the number of lives saved every year in New Jersey. We have many
dedicated New Jerseyans, from first responders to behind-the-scenes
administrators and educators, working to create the best possible
emergency medical services system for our state."
The
Citizen Star of Life Award was presented to Cathy Housman, a nurse
from South Amboy. When her neighbor suddenly collapsed, Ms. Housman
performed CPR until police arrived. Police then used a defibrillator
Ms. Housman had donated to the police department to save the man's
life. A defibrillator is a small device used to resuscitate victims
of sudden cardiac arrest.
New
Jersey Task Force One, the state's urban search and rescue team,
was given the EMS Star of Life Award for its work at Ground Zero
following the September 11 attacks. Memorial awards were also given
to four EMTs and paramedics who died in the line of duty on September
11.
Awards
were given in a wide range of categories. They recognized Emergency
Medical Technicians, paramedics, first responders and dispatchers;
entire EMS services, including volunteer, privately owned and municipal
services; EMS medical directors, administrators and educators; and
private citizens who performed lifesaving acts.
Three
young people also received the Youth Star of Life Award, which is
given to young people whose quick thinking and fast action helped
save a life.
Each
year, more than three million New Jersey residents and visitors
require emergency medical care for traumatic injuries, poisonings,
heart attacks and other medical emergencies. Trained caregivers,
from paramedics and EMTs on the scene to physicians and nurses in
the hospitals, are called on daily to respond to these emergencies.
Basic
life support services in New Jersey are provided by an estimated
500 to 600 volunteer ambulance squads and about 200 licensed ambulance
services, with paramedics delivering advanced life support operating
out of 30 mobile intensive care units statewide. There are more
than 22,000 licensed EMTs and about 1,600 certified paramedics in
the state.
The Department's Office of Emergency Medical Services is charged
with creating comprehensive, coordinated, statewide emergency medical
services system to provide the highest quality of care to all New
Jerseyans. The Office oversees the education of all EMS personnel;
licenses and monitors non-volunteer basic life support services,
advanced life support programs and the vehicles in both programs;
oversees the state's trauma system; monitors and coordinates the
air medical helicopter program; directs the EMS for Children program;
and develops new EMS initiatives.
# # #
List
of EMS Award recipients, by category.
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