[Temslist] Four from Tidewater win state EMS Awards

[Tidewater EMS Council Listserv]

Four from region win state EMS awards

Four Tidewater nominees won state EMS awards during the 27th Annual
Virginia EMS Symposium Awards Banquet held November 11, 2006 at the
Norfolk Waterside Marriott.

Kathleen Colantuono, RN, of Chesapeake received the 2006 Nurse with
Outstanding Contributions to EMS award. Colantuono is the Disaster
Coordinator for Sentara Health System, Deputy Commander for VA-1
Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and former Chief Flight Nurse for
Sentara Nightingale Air Ambulance and Team Leader for Sentara Norfolk
General Hospital Emergency Department.

Barry J. Knapp, II, MD of Virginia Beach received the Outstanding EMS
Physician (Frank M. Yeiser) award. Dr. Knapp is an OMD for Norfolk Fire
Rescue, an Associate Professor and Assistant Residency Director for the
EVMS Department of Emergency Medicine, an attending physician for
Emergency Physicians of Tidewater and Operations Section Chief (lead
physician) for the VA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Laura L. Walker, DM (candidate) of Portsmouth received the Outstanding
EMS Administrator (Kent J. Weber) award. Walker is the Regional EMS
Education Coordinator for the Tidewater EMS Council, a volunteer
paramedic with the Nansemond Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad, a Plans
Chief for VA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team and director of the
council's new Kent J. Weber Emergency Response Training and Simulation
Center.

Michael Griffin, EMT-E of Capron won the Outstanding Pre-Hospital
Provider award. Griffin is a provider for Sentara Medical Transport, EMS
captain for Capron Volunteer Rescue Squad and a member of the regional
CISM team. He was cited for saving the lives, while he was off duty, of
two individuals who were severely injured and in a burning crashed
vehicle.

Guest speaker during the awards banquet was Randy Mantooth, former star
"Johnny Gage" of the 70's TV hit EMERGENCY! 

The annual Virginia EMS Symposium spanned five days from November 8 - 12
and attracted over 1800 EMS providers, nurses, physicians and others
plus some 200 additional instructors and support staff. The program
featured EMS educational topics, offering over 250 individual topics and
courses. Courses were held in the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Waterside
Sheraton, EVMS and the Tidewater EMS Council. The symposium also
included a vendor trade show and nightly entertainment including this
year, for the first time, a casino night. 

Plans have already begun for the next statewide symposium which will
also be held in Norfolk, November 7-11, 2007. The Tidewater region's
representatives on the program committee are Mike Staats of Norfolk Fire
Rescue and Laura Walker.  Please provide them with topical ideas for
next year's event.

Congratulations to our region's winners and nominees, and to all of the
other the state EMS award recipients: Excellence in EMS, Rob Logan
(Western VA EMS Council); Pre-Hospital Instructor, Bobby Baker
(Roanoke); Contribution to EMS, Williamsburg Community Health
Foundation; EMS Agency, Lifecare Medical Transports (Fredericksburg);
EMS Call, Holly Grove VRS and Louisa County EMS; Contribution to EMS for
Children, Betsy Smith (Roseland Rescue); Contribution to EMS
Telecommunication: Terry Hall (York County); and $5000 Scholarship to a
High School Senior, John Belcher (Vesta Rescue Squad).

I'd also like to especially recognize and thank TEMS staff members Laura
Walker, Heidi Gamblin and David Coulling for the substantial role they
played in the behind-the-scenes support for the symposium. 

Finally, special recognition and thanks to Dan Norville, Bob Pugh and
Mike New as well as many others (with support from their chiefs) at
Norfolk Fire Rescue, Chesapeake Fire and Virginia Beach EMS for
manpower, logistics support, equipment, transportation and generally
handling everything that needed to be done.  I'm sorry if I missed
anyone deserving of recognition. Basically, as always, the Tidewater
region played a Herculean role in symposium support.

Jim

 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
James M. Chandler, CAE
Executive Director
Tidewater EMS Council, Inc.
6353 Center Drive Ste 101
Norfolk, VA  23502
tel 757 963-0632 extension 308
fax 757 963-2325
www.tidewaterems.org <http://www.tidewaterems.org/> 
 
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