The California Ambulance Association will honor fourteen emergency medical professionals from Hall Ambulance Service, along with forty-two other EMS professionals from across the state, as Stars of Life at the state Capitol on April 1, 2014. 

Their actions are as varied as their positions, but demonstrate they have stood out amongst their peers as the best of the best working in California’s private ambulance industry. 

Highlighting this year’s honorees are stories of lifesaving care and exemplary professional achievement, including a paramedic/EMT crew that performed two back-to-back in-field baby deliveries in Lamont and Bakersfield; a response to cardiac arrest in Tehachapi; and two unrelated responses for choking- one in Frazier Park and the other in Bakersfield.  In each instance, they have demonstrated the courage, discipline and skill needed to remain calm under pressure while delivering advanced life support care in the field. 

On Tuesday, April 1, the honorees will follow a busy itinerary starting with a legislative briefing, followed by the Stars of Life medal presentation ceremony at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Sacramento.  Afterwards, the Stars will convene on the steps of the state Capitol for a group photo to commemorate their recognition. 

They will then meet with their elected members of the State Assembly and Senate.  During their visit, they will share their life-saving stories with the legislators and deliver important first-hand information about the essential service provided by California’s ambulance providers.

The day will conclude with a networking reception, followed by the Stars of Life Awards Dinner at the Embassy Suites Hotel where they will receive a legislative certificate recognizing their achievement.

Stars of Life Honorees:

• Dr. Ron Ostrom, Hall Ambulance Medical Director, is receiving  the Star of Life for his integral work in quality assurance initiatives and dedication to facilitating the Kern High School District’s annual Head Injuries in Student Athletes Symposium, presented by Hall Ambulance Service, Inc.
• EMT Les Hutchison, Hall Critical Care Transport, is receiving the Star of Life for forty-years of dedicated service to the community and Hall Ambulance, including numerous years spent as lead instructor of the Company’s emergency vehicle operations training program.
• EMT Matt Millwee and Paramedic Rafael Prieto, are receiving their Stars of Life for their quick response to a neighboring sandwich shop in Frazier Park to assist a patron who was choking on food and subsequently went into cardiac arrest.
• Paramedic Brad Quintana and EMT Jeremy Capps, are receiving their Stars of Life for saving the life of a patron at a Tehachapi-area restaurant in cardiac arrest.
• Hank Blair, Lead Vehicle Service Technician, Hall Commercial Vehicle Service, is being honored for his dedicated service for the preventative maintenance and repair of more than 100 emergency response      and support vehicles; and a 12-year career with perfect attendance.
• Kimberly Drennan, Lead Emergency Medical Dispatcher, is being honored for her continued outstanding performance, which contributed to Hall Ambulance being recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence      (ACE) by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch—one of two recognized facilities in Kern County.
• Paramedic Adalberto Salazar and EMT Miguel DeSouza, are receiving their Stars of Life for their response to two, back-to-back, in-field baby deliveries—helping to bring two new lives into this world. 
• David Konieczny, Assistant Operations Manager for Quality Service, is receiving his Star of Life for identifying opportunities for quality improvement and implementing a training program to improve data input captured on patient care reports.
• Paramedic Eric Petersen and EMT Mike Hilliard, are receiving their Stars of Life for their precision teamwork that led to saving the life of a woman who was choking and lost consciousness.
• Paramedic Nathan Kennedy, Hall Critical Care Transport, is receiving his second Star of Life for his unmatched dedication to our community, his employer and EMS.

Founded in 1948, the California Ambulance Association (CAA) represents the interests of emergency and non-emergency ambulance service providers serving nearly every county of the state of California. The CAA is dedicated to assuring the delivery of excellent pre-hospital care to the people of California by promoting recognized industry best practices.

 Founded in 1971, Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. provides 9-1-1 paramedic service to the cities of Arvin, Bakersfield, California City, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and the communities of Bear Valley Springs, Boron, Buttonwillow, Frazier Park, Golden Hills, Lamont, Mojave, and Rosamond, California.