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This month, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and EMS professionals all across
America, celebrate EMS Week. In Pinellas County, the Board of County Commissioners is proud
to name this year's award winning EMS professionals who best embody the theme of EMS Week 2013:
One mission, one team.
From St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, 11 year veteran firefighter/EMT Jim Metevia is Pinellas County�s
EMT of the year.
Well, the mission of Pinellas County is that we provide an outstanding service, when you
call us, we show up, we're professional, we take care of the problem, we make sure
that your patient needs are met.
From Sunstar, to Bayflite, to the medical director, to the outside agencies that we
work with, we do a lot of training together, with each other, and that's where things
really come together, where everyone has the same idea of what's going on and everyone
has the same idea of what's expected.
I love the job, I would not trade it for the world.
A good day is knowing that you've saved someone�s life.
From Emergency Communications/9-1-1, Alexandra Dolce, is Pinellas County Emergency Medical
Dispatcher of the Year who helped bring baby Evan into the world in April of last year.
Ok is the baby crying or breathing? He is coughing a lot.
Is the baby crying or breathing? He's breathing.
He's breathing? Now gently wipe off the baby's mouth and
nose. Dry the baby off with a clean towel.
Get me a towel. Ok then wrap the baby in a clean dry towel.
Ok, cover the baby's head but not the face. "Baby crying"
Congratulations.
That one by far was one of my favorites, be cause even though it may be nerve wracking
to think that you're helping someone deliver a baby, it was exciting for me.
I felt like I was a part of that family, to tell you the truth. I felt like a proud auntie,
to be able to be a part of that moment
With every situation you just have to know how to handle it and fortunately for me, I'm
able to be a good listener, and to process and get the person through what they're
going through. That's not to say that I'm not nervous at the time, but just being calm
helps that person be calm as well.
From Sunstar Paramedic Ambulance Service, 23 year EMS veteran Shawn Tatham is Pinellas
County's Paramedic of the Year.
You never get used to possibly being the last one to hold somebody's hand.
Our job is to get that sick or injured patient back to the hospital where other professionals
can work on them and make sure that things go well.
And it doesn't matter if it's someone who's choking to death, if it's a life
saving measure, or just someone who just needs general help. We're here to work together.
We're here to take care of people and I believe we do a very good job of that.
It's not one person that makes the call, or does care here in Pinellas County, it's
a team effort. And it's not just our team, it's the team of Sunstar, all the fire departments,
hospitals, nursing facilities, other medical facilities that call us and need us.
I'm very proud of all the people and very happy to be part of the system.
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners congratulates EMT of the Year Jim Metevia,
Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year Alexandra Dolce and Paramedic of the Year Shawn Tatham
along with all the hard working emergency service professionals that work within the
Pinellas County EMS system. One mission, one team. Pinellas County EMS.