At its Tuesday, May 7, meeting, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners named this year’s Emergency Medical Services Professionals of the Year.
The awards are given each year in May in honor of EMS Week, locally commemorating the EMS professionals working for Pinellas County’s emergency medical services system.
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(l to r) Gina Signor, Vice President/Administration Pinellas Federal Credit Union, Evelyn Molina, President/CEO Pinellas Federal Credit Union, Paramedic of the Year Shawn Tatham, EMT of the Year Jim Metevia, EMD of the Year Alexandra Dolce, Bruce Moeller, Director, Pinellas County Public Safety Services
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This year’s Paramedic of the Year is Sunstar Operations Supervisor Shawn Tatham, a 23-year EMS veteran. “It’s not one person that makes the call, it’s a team effort,” says Tatham. “I’m very proud of the other agencies that I work with and very happy to be part of the system.”
Firefighter/EMT Jim Metevia was named Emergency Medical Technician of the Year. Metevia is an 11-year veteran with St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. Metevia normally works out of St. Petersburg Station Six, where supervisors rate him “an unquestionable example of the standards of St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue.”
Pinellas County 9-1-1 Telecommunicator Alexandra Dolce was named Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year. Recently, Dolce was instrumental in assisting with the delivery of a baby over the phone while first responders were in transit. “I can’t tell you how lucky I was to have had you answer the phone,” wrote the newborn’s dad in a follow up thank you letter. “I don’t know how things would have turned out if it weren’t for your calm voice guiding me through.”
The award recipients each received a plaque and a cash award from the Pinellas Federal Credit Union.
A special video profiling the award winners is available at: www.youtube.com/pcctv1
EMS Week is celebrated nationally each May by the American College of Emergency Physicians. The theme of this year’s celebration is: “One mission—one team.”