Celebrating Excellence: Pittsford Ambulance Honored with Regional Awards
EMT Dan O’Connell and Pittsford Ambulance both recognized for exceptional service to start off National EMS Week
Rochester, NY: Yesterday at the Monroe-Livingston Regional EMS Council’s annual awards ceremony, hosted at the Public Safety Training Facility, PVA’s staff received two prestigious awards for outstanding service in the Monroe-Livingston region.
EMT Dan O’Connell was awarded Basic Life Support Provider of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the field of Emergency Medical Service, jointly through his work as a Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance EMT, Ridge Road Firefighter, and Nurse at the University of Rochester at Strong Memorial Hospital. O’Connell is a 7-year member of PVA, working tirelessly in that time to support his community and colleagues alike. He was nominated for this prestigious award by his peers to recognize his dedication, responsibility, compassion, advocacy and insight in the EMS environment. In addition to his role as an EMT at PVA, Dan also heads up our oxygen supply team, is heavily involved in our clinical quality improvement initiatives, is a Field Training Officer and a Junior Member Program Advisor.
As an organization, PVA won top honors as the Council’s EMS Agency of the Year for the second year in the most recent three. PVA is recognized as a Regional leader in EMS, in part for their advocacy, leadership and innovation in the field of EMS. The organization proudly out-performs industry standards for staff retention and employee satisfaction, and is incredibly proactive in their efforts to improve clinical quality and patient outcomes. The organization is also a champion for industry reform, advocating both independently and through their memberships with the Monroe County EMS Chiefs Association, the American Ambulance Association and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and is led by Chief / CEO Jonathan Smith.
During the nomination period, Paramedic Tim Hutchings, Deputy Chief Amanda Martin and Deputy Chief Neil Mathews also received bids for awards from their peers. Both PVA and O’Connell will receive nominations for their respective awards at the State level and also for National recognition by the National Association of EMTs.
About Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance: Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit ambulance service based in Pittsford, NY. Founded in 1971, Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance has provided emergency medical care to the Town of Pittsford and surrounding communities for over 50 years. Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance was named Agency of the Year for 2021 and 2023 by the Monroe-Livingston Regional Emergency Medical Services Council and has earned the American Heart Association’s top recognition for stroke and heart-attack care for the last four years in a row. The organization offers CPR/First Aid Training to the public and to private groups alike.