Wylie Paramedic Wins Great First Responder Award

CareFlite President & CEO Jim Swartz presents Wylie Fire Rescue’s Brandon Gibson EMT-P with a 2007 Great First Responder’s Award with Wylie Fire Chief Randy Corbin looking on. The presentation was made at the Wylie City Council’s meeting on 9/11/07.

About Great First Responder Awards:  First responders are the unsung heroes who respond day and night, in all kinds of weather, to life threatening situations without hesitation or delay. A first responder can be a fireman, an EMT, a policewoman, or a communications specialist in a first responder agency. They can be a paid professional in an urban department or a volunteer in a small, rural community. They all have a few things in common. They care about their fellow citizens and are willing to respond to all kinds of emergencies including some horrific situations. They are usually the first ones on the scene. They must make quick decisions, often in seconds, that can determine whether someone will survive a terrible accident. They must take care of the patient, protect the public and summon help. Sometimes at night. Sometimes in awful weather. And sometimes alone. But even if they are alone, they are backed up by a team of people who are ready, on a moment’s notice, to bring additional resources. They don’t ask for your health insurance card. They don’t ask whether you are a citizen. They assess your situation and proceed to give you as much aid and comfort as they can. These are First Responders. These are our community’s first line of defense against the tragic events that occur in our communities all too often.

Great First Responder Awards honor a group of first responders chosen by their peers in each of the departments represented. The best of the best in North Texas . Unsung heroes. Unrecognized heroes. We honor them for:

       For going above and beyond the call of duty as a first responder.  For commitment
       to the highest level of emergency care in the field. For demonstrating rofessionalism
       and setting the standard for your peers in life threatening situations. For putting service
       above self and making our communities better places to live.

We also recognize their families for the support and encouragement they offer the first responder in their family. A father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister. Without family support, these award winners and all first responders would find their mission difficult if not impossible.

The Great First Responder Awards program is co-sponsored by CareFlite and the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.