National Wildfire Coordinating Group Announces Wildfire Emergency Medical Service Awards

April 10, 2014

Source: National Wildfire Coordinating Group

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Incident Emergency Medical Subcommittee (IEMS) has announced the recipients of the 2013 Wildfire Emergency Medical Service Awards. The first annual awards program recognizes and honors organizations and/or individuals who have demonstrated outstanding work, actions, or programs in emergency medical service (EMS) for wildland firefighters.

“We are elated at the nominations that were received for these first annual awards,” said Jan Peterson, Chair of the IEM Subcommittee. “There were many outstanding nominations submitted that illustrated the extraordinary actions and initiatives taken to provide and assure the health and safety of workers on wildland fire incidents. It is my pleasure to recognize those who were selected during the 2013 wildfire season,” Peterson said.

The four award categories that nominations were selected from include: Outstanding Wildfire EMS Individual; Outstanding Wildfire EMS Squad/Crew/Team; Outstanding Wildfire EMS Distinguished Service; and Excellence in Wildfire EMS/Rescue.

Each of the awardees was recognized with a plaque and certificate of award. The 2013 EMS recipients include:

  • Dia Gainer, Executive Director with the National Association of State EMS Officials in Falls Church, VA, was awarded the Outstanding Wildfire Emergency Medical Service Distinguished Service Award for providing unparalleled service in wildfire emergency medical services.
  • Alex Abols, Boise Smokejumper with the Bureau of Land Management, was awarded the Outstanding Wildfire EMS Individual of the Year Award for demonstrating independent initiative in the areas of quality assurance, patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education, and training, and has demonstrated support, involvement, and dedication to their wildfire EMS community and wildland profession.
  • The Florida Forest Service was awarded the Outstanding Wildfire EMS Team of the Year Award, which honors a wildland fire team that has demonstrated independent initiative in the areas of quality assurance, patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education, and training, and has demonstrated support, involvement, and dedication to their wildfire EMS community and wildland profession.
  • The Horseshoe Meadows Interagency Hotshot Crew, the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crew, and Nick Wydra and Jace Lundquist with the Lewis and Clark Interagency Hotshot Crew were all awarded the Award of Excellence in Wildfire EMS/Rescue, which recognizes individuals and teams who have displayed an act of selflessness and heroism above and beyond the call of duty during a wildfire emergency medical or rescue incident, or unexpected event.


The Incident Emergency Medical Subcommittee mission is to establish a methodology that meets the emergency medical and occupational health care needs of managed incidents, providing information, updates, and guidance to enhance the health and safety of firefighters and other personnel during wildland fire incidents.

For more information about the IEMS and the Wildfire EMS Awards program, visit: www.nwcg.gov/branches/pre/rmc/iems/index.html.