This year's winners were honored at the 2011 IERC Awards Banquet on August 19, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza, Grand Hall at Union Station in downtown Indianapolis.
This year's L.I.F.E. Award winners:
Indianapolis Fire
Department - Winner, L.I.F.E. Award
for Career Department Category
Last year alone, the Indianapolis Fire Department had
154,727 responses, 394 for FIRE and 92,333 for EMS. This 1216 member department has a very high
risk of disease and injury, and must make extra efforts to improve overall
wellness and fitness…and quite frankly, they have. Indianapolis was part of the original
international committee that created the IAFF/IAFC Wellness Fitness Initiative,
along with Public Safety Medical. With
great outcomes in preventing injury and disease, they have been studied by
Harvard University, Oregon State University, University of Maryland, Indiana
University, NIOSH, and other research bodies.
IFD has implemented various fitness initiatives including a work
performance evaluation, PEER Fitness Trainers, and case management to reduce
worker’s compensation claims. Even
though they have grown from 749 firefighters in 2006 to 1216 firefighters in
2010, they have reduced their worker’s compensation claims from 350 claims in
2006 to fewer than 200 claims in 2010. Through
early detection, they have caught numerous cases of heart disease, cancers,
infectious diseases, and other duty-related diseases. These efforts have provided substantial
savings for the department and for their city.
If you ask them why they prioritize wellness and fitness, they will say
they want their members to “have a healthy career and reach retirement in as
healthy of a condition as possible.”
Carmel Fire Department - Runner-up, L.I.F.E. Award for Career Department Category
White River Township
Fire Department in Greenwood, IN - Winner, L.I.F.E.
Award for Combined/Volunteer Department Category
White River Township Fire Department has had their wellness-fitness
program in place since 2009. They
conduct annual medical evaluations for all members based off of the IAFF/IAFC Wellness
Fitness Initiative. They have also
implemented initiatives that have led to the department becoming tobacco
free. Even though funding at times can
be a challenge, this department has actively sought out grants, which have
enabled them to outfit ALL of their stations with new fitness equipment. When it comes to repeat injury and illness
prevention, they have instituted a committee that now investigates the cause of
injuries and illnesses to see if they can reduce and prevent them from
occurring again. When asked why they
make wellness and fitness a priority, they say because they want all of their
personnel, full-time and volunteer, to “enjoy a prosperous career, and a pleasurable
retirement.”
Bargersville
Community Fire Department - Runner-up, L.I.F.E.
Award for Combined/Volunteer Department Category
The
following individuals were nominated and recognized by their peers as
the best of the best in our great state and those who put forth that
extra effort to make sure that all of Indiana's Emergency Response
Personnel remain on the cutting edge in our industry.
Award winners are in bold. The others were nominated.
Congratulations to all awardees and nominees!
|
Award Category
|
Candidate
|
Certification Level
|
Location
|
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Ambulance Provider Public Relations
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Parkview Huntington Hosp EMS
|
Paramedic
|
Huntington
|
|
Ambulance Provider Public Relations
|
Putnam County Operation Life
|
Paramedic
|
Greencastle
|
|
Ambulance Provider Public Relations
|
Harrison County Hospital EMS
|
Paramedic
|
Corydon (Harrison County)
|
|
Ambulance Provider Public Relations
|
Memorial Hospital Ambulance Svc
|
EMT Advanced-Intermediate
|
Jasper
|
|
Provider of the Year - Paid Fire
|
Evansville Fire Department
|
EMT Non-Transport - Paid Fire
|
Evansville
|
|
Provider of the Year - Paid Fire
|
Town of Fishers Fire Department
|
Paramedic and Paid Fire
|
Fishers
|
|
Paramedic of the Year
|
Christopher Nodine
|
Paramedic
|
Pendleton-Pendleton Emergency Ambulance Service
|
|
Paramedic of the Year
|
Kraig Kinney
|
Paramedic
|
Cloverdale- Putnam County Operation Life
|
|
Indiana Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year
|
Barb Spurlin
|
Juvenile Fire Setters Specialist
|
Wayne Township Fire Department
|
|
Otis R. Bowen, M.D. Heroic Rescue Award
|
Greg Wenning
|
New Albany F.D. Captain
|
New Albany- New Albany Fire Department
|
|
Otis R. Bowen, M.D. Heroic Rescue Award
|
Jon Proctor
|
Swift Water Rescue Tech Captain
|
New Albany- New Albany Fire Department
|
|
Otis R. Bowen, M.D. Heroic Rescue Award
|
Casey Hornung
|
First Response
|
New Albany- New Albany Fire Department
|
|
Fire Chief of the Year (Career)
|
Ken Gilliam
|
Fire Chief
|
Noblesville Fire Department
|
|
Fire Chief of the Year (Career)
|
Howard W. Buchanon II
|
Fire Chief
|
South Bend Fire Department
|
|
Medical Director of the Year
|
David Hartman
|
MD
|
Syracuse- Turkey Creek Fire Territory
|
|
Medical Director of the Year
|
Tom Gansman
|
MD of Community Health Network
|
Greenwood- Decatur Township Fire Department
|
|
Emergency Medical Services for Children Award
|
Jeff Melvin
|
A-EMT
|
Corydon (Harrison County Hospital EMS-Memorial Hospital & Healthcare
Center/Dubois Co EMS
|
|
Emergency Medical Services for Children Award
|
Barb Coffel
|
RN -IU Health Lifeline
|
Indianapolis
|
|
Individual or Divisional Training Achievement Award
|
Jarrod Sights
|
IU Health LifeLine , Flight Paramedic
|
Columbus Base
|
|
Fire Prevention Achievement Award
|
Pascal Arnes
|
Decatur Township FD - Deputy Chief
|
Decatur Township Fire Department
|
|
Primary Instructor of the Year
|
John R. Chalfin (Ivy Tech)
|
EMS Educator
|
Noblesville- Riverview Hospital
|
|
EMT (Intermediate) of the Year
|
Anthony Ferraro
|
EMT Intermediate
|
Tell City - Dubois County EMS/Memorial Hospital Ambulance Service
|
|
EMT (Basic) of the Year
|
Robert L. Carl , Jr.
|
EMT Basic, Captain New Albany FD
|
New Albany- New Albany Fire Department
|
|
EMT (Basic) of the Year
|
Zach Eichmiller
|
EMT Basic
|
Dubois County EMS
|
|
EMT (Basic) of the Year
|
Cherly M. Miller
|
EMT Basic
|
Corydon (Harrison County)- Harrison Co. Hospital
|
|
Fire Chief of the Year (Volunteer / Combination)
|
Jim Abrams (James R. Abrams)
|
Fire Department Chief
|
Highland Township VFD
|
|
Fire Chief of the Year (Volunteer / Combination)
|
Tim Smith
|
Fire Department Chief
|
Vincennes Township FD
|