Governor Gianforte, DPHHS Honor Emergency Medical Services Responders Including Hinsdale Ambulance

Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton honored Montana Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel from Glendive, Big Sky, Rudyard, Ennis, Great Falls, and Hinsdale during an awards ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday, May 22.

"From offering community support to responding to emergencies, our EMS providers across Montana work around the clock to deliver life-saving care to Montanans in need," Gov. Gianforte said. "Today, and every day, we thank these professionals and their families for their sacrifice and commitment to care."

In attendance were representatives from the Hill County Ambulance, Gallatin Gateway Volunteer Fire Department, Madison Valley Ambulance Service Ennis, City of Great Falls/Cascade County Emergency Communication Center, Glendive Ambulance Service, and Hinsdale Ambulance Service.

They were joined by Dr. Michael Kremkau, a fellowship trained EMS Medical Director from Missoula and chair of the Montana EMS Advisory Committee and Shari Graham, the EMS Systems Manager for DPHHS.

The governor also proclaimed May 21-27 as Emergency Medical Services Week and Wednesday, May 22 as EMS for Children Day.

Dir. Brereton said EMS workers are there for Montanans each and every day. In 2023, EMS services were requested more than 150,000 times, with more than 8,000 requests for children experiencing illness or injury.

"Montana's first responders are there for the communities they serve," Dir. Brereton said. "Those who have devoted their careers to EMS deserve a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for their service to Montana."

Nominated by their peers, Hinsdale Ambulance Service received the EMS For Children Supporter Award, which recognizes an individual whose actions contributed to saving a life and who remained calm in the face of a crisis. The nomination was made by the DPHHS EMS for Children Program.

The Hinsdale Ambulance is a volunteer ambulance service and an affiliate of Valley County Stat Ambulance Service. They are being recognized for the emphasis they put on being prepared for the smallest of patients. They first applied to become a Pediatric Ready EMS service in 2019 and they were recently renewed by the EMS for Children Program - a recognition of their commitment to pediatric care.

To be recognized as Pediatric Ready, an EMS agency must have a designated Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator. The Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator acts as a pediatric advocate making sure the agency is ready to care for children by carrying appropriately sized equipment and holding annual training focusing on the care of sick and injured children.

In addition to renewing their pediatric recognition, the Hinsdale Volunteer Ambulance prioritized pediatric education and training by requesting the Montana EMS for Children pediatric airway manikin to practice inserting an oral airway and ventilation skills so that they would be prepared for pediatric emergencies as a rural volunteer EMS agency.

As the agency's Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator, Dorothy Jensen states: "We tend to get comfortable with adult patients, but when we are faced with children it adds a higher level of stress. Our service strives to be the best we can be. We continue to train for the one time we will need to use a skill.

We had a call last fall when an eight-year-old child had a horrific four-wheeler crash. When we arrived, this child was having a difficult time breathing and unconscious. We received almost the same scenario from the SIM-MT truck not once, but twice! Going through that scenario and TBI training saved this child's life."