Odenton EMT Honored as Tops in State

DELMAR, MD – “Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

This phrase was coined nearly 7 decades ago by Admiral Chester Nimitz to describe the U.S. Marine Corps victories during the battle of Iwo Jima. This past Sunday the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Maryland Commander, spoke these words as he presented the awards for top emergency services personnel in the State of Maryland for 2011. Among the recipients was the own Nicole Cook who was selected as the VFW 2011 Emergency Medical Technician of the Year.

Nicole joined the OVFC in 2010 and quickly established herself as an integral part of the Thursday night duty crew. She is respected in the company as a skilled EMT and is known for her compassion and ability to quickly establish rapport with patients. Indeed, the VFW bore witness to this compassion firsthand as Nicole jumped in to treat a member who had collapsed prior to the start of the awards ceremony. The collapsed individual recovered from the temporary spell and the ceremony went off without a hitch. Ray Hodgson, OVFC Chief remarked after the presentation that Nicole “truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism.”

Nicole currently serves with the Friday night duty crew while continuing to help out the Thursday night crew as needed. During this past year she responded to an amazing 250 calls. When Nicole is not helping to protect the citizens of Odenton, you can find her working as a technician in the emergency room at Anne Arundel Medical Center. She is also working on her Registered Nurse certification and is due to graduate this December. As for her future plans, Nicole hopes to eventually obtain her paramedic certification as well as certifications in firefighting. She also plans to stay with the OVFC for a long time.