UPDATED: Sussex County Council Honors County Paramedics Team that Won Gold at JEMS
UPDATED – 06/06/23 – During this week’s Sussex County Council meeting, the SCEMS Team was honored by the Council for winning gold at the JEMS Competition in Indianapolis in April.
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ORIGINAL STORY – A Sussex County Emergency Medical Services team has won gold and the 2023 Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Games in Indianapolis. The competition was held this past week as part of the FDIC International Conference for fire and rescue professionals. The team from Sussex County was paramedics Steve Desrosiers, Austen Kauffman, Kristen McAfee and Chaz Tennermann. This year’s gold is the first in five years, however the County team has 11 overall wins since 2005.
Additional information from the Sussex County Government release:
“We are tremendously proud of our team and their accomplishment, and to be able to carry on that tradition of excellence and professionalism that is at the core of everyone at SCEMS,” Sussex County EMS Director Robert Murray said. “More than that, though, we are proud to represent the people of Sussex County, who depend on us and the countless other first responders in our community who serve as a critical lifeline when seconds and minutes count.”
The final competition was designed to challenge each team’s ability to work as a cohesive unit under pressure, while providing appropriate and efficient patient care. Communication among team members was critically important as they faced multiple patients, critical injuries and emotional bystanders, according to JEMS.
Joining Sussex County EMS in earning medals at the JEMS Games were the Zionsville, Ind. Fire Department and San Miguel, Calif. Fire & Rescue, which placed second and third, respectively, in the final competition.
This year’s gold medal adds to Sussex County EMS’s impressive record. Past SCEMS competition teams in the JEMS Games have earned gold medals in 2005, 2011, and 2018, silver medals in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2019, and bronze medals in 2013, 2020, and 2022. Outside of the JEMS games, Sussex County EMS also placed third during the Magen David Adom (MDA) 2008 Olympics, an international EMS competition held in the Dead Sea region of Israel.
Sussex County Administrator Todd F. Lawson congratulated the team on its successful showing in the competition, adding that Sussex County residents should take comfort in knowing their EMS organization is among the best in the nation.
“Sussex County’s paramedics pride themselves on providing the highest quality care possible, not just in competitions, but on every call,” Mr. Lawson said. “This win symbolizes that commitment to their profession, and to the public they serve, and we couldn’t be more honored – and thankful – to have the best people giving their best for us each and every day.”
