Danbury Hospital Honors Local EMS Groups At Regonition Dinner

DANBURY — Danbury Hospital hosted more than 100 employees and volunteers from its 12 sponsored ambulance services at an EMS Recognition Dinner to commemorate National Emergency Medical Services Week.

The event, held at the Stony Hill Inn in Bethel, included dinner, awards, and remarks from several hospital and community representatives, to honor the dedicated people who provide timely and top-notch emergency medical services in their municipalities.

In addition to the Danbury Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, these providers include Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department, City of Danbury EMS-BSI, Danbury Ambulance Service, Danbury Fire Department, Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department, New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department, Redding Volunteer Fire Co #1, Ridgefield Fire Department, Stony Hill Volunteer Fire Department, and West Redding Volunteer Fire Department.

Frank J. Kelly, president and CEO, Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems, introduced each of the service chiefs, while offering his congratulations to the highly skilled teams who respond to accidents and other emergencies by answering the call 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Greater Danbury. Last year alone, the 12 Danbury Hospital-sponsored ambulance services answered more than 12,000 calls in their communities via the cooperation of teams that include dispatchers, medical response technicians, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics, as well as hospital-based physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and technicians.

Frank Kelly, along with Danbury Hospital’s James Cooper, administrative director, Department of Emergency Medicine, and Elaine Kiessling, EMS coordinator, presented state and federal legislative citations to each ambulance service, and distributed door prizes such as dinner gift certificates and EMS gear to several lucky winners. Additionally, Danbury Hospital/Danbury Health Systems presented a complimentary cooler tote bag to each of the regions’ 500-plus EMS personnel as a token of appreciation for their commitment to community service.

“We are especially proud to honor our EMS teams, who sustain such a successful network of care in our community,” said Ms Kiessling. “We wanted to salute our peers in all of the towns for their professionalism and dedication to patient care. EMS providers help our communities in countless ways, and will continue to ensure the region’s health, prevention, and physical well-being.”

EMS gained impetus in the United States in 1966, after a National Academy of Sciences report found widespread deficiencies in emergency care. At the time, it was common for emergency patients to be transported to the hospital in vehicles operated by mortuary services, and few hospitals had Emergency Rooms staffed by doctors. This report paved the way for the establishment of the EMS system, which today includes 750,000 providers across the country.