the Paper - Elkhart County Edition - May 18, 2021

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

www.the-papers.com

Serving Elkhart County and parts of Noble, LaGrange & Marshall Counties

A CHARMING COLLECTION OF PRIMATIVE AND FARMHOUSE DECOR Located Inside

Coppes Commons 401 E Market St., Nappanee, In 46550

Goshen (574) 534-2591

Vol. 49 No. 6

www.coppescommons.com

(574)-354-2901

134 S. Main, Goshen, Indiana 46526

$/:$<6 35(3$5(' ³ Monte Flowers, captain paramedic for Nappanee EMS, performs a routine check of emergency equipment in one of the department÷s ambulances. Photo by Ray Balogh.

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HEROES %\ 5$< %$/2*+ 6WDII :ULWHU They train for years to be ready in seconds. As dedicated public servants, they have sacrificially cut from the fabric of their lives the little decorations those they protect enjoy daily without a second thought: a solid night’s sleep, leisurely meals, shoes that lace. They ply their duties with a fierce sense of loyal camaraderie matched only by other front line heroes. This year’s 46th annual National EMS Week, May 16-22, celebrates the unwavering contributions of fire and EMS departments throughout the country. Nappanee EMS “Nappanee is really good about supporting us,” said Steve Heckathorn, acting chief of Nappanee EMS. “We have always had good support.” Heckathorn’s department consists of seven full-time members and 12 volunteers, two ambulances and a utility truck. Nappanee EMS averages 900 emergency runs a year and Heckathorn cited the most gratifying part of the job as “being able to help somebody who is in trouble and later seeing them walking

down the sidewalk.” With the humility of a true hero, Heckathorn conscientiously avoided the expression, “saving somebody’s life,” instead acknowledging, “we only play a small part in them recovering.” He addressed one misconception about EMS services. “Just because you go into the hospital by ambulance doesn’t mean you are going to be seen faster. It depends how severe your sickness or injuries. The hospital does triage, too.” Jefferson Township EMS, Goshen Jefferson Township EMS provides proportionally different services than the average EMS department. Nationally about 90% of EMS responses address personal medical traumas, with the remainder devoted to traffic accidents and fire calls. Jefferson Township EMS’s responses involving traffic accidents tops 30%. “We get more traffic calls than the average because we are located on State Road 15,” said Chad Lehman, the department’s director. The department’s territory stretches from just north of the Goshen city limits to 1/2 mile south of Bristol and from CR 17 to CR 31. depart Not only is the departfortuitousl ment fortuitously perrlocated, but the perwelll sonnel are well foor trained for emerrsuch emerg e n c y

runs. “Our average person has been involved with us 12 years, so we have a lot of experience,” said Lehman, who works two days a week at each of three different jobs: EMS director, critical care nurse at Elkhart General Hospital’s ICU and in Goshen Hospital’s emergency room. Lehman noted a trend during his 20 years at Jefferson Township EMS. “More EMS departments are becoming career departments. The national average of volunteers in a department was 70% but that is getting smaller because of the training involved. “We are gratified just serving the public and helping take care of our local community,” he said. “We are always grateful to be blessed with the support the community gives us.” Jefferson Township EMS and fire department, 58518 SR 15, will host their annual fish fry Saturday, June 12. Anyone can be involved in personally honoring the often unsung heroes in their local first responder departments by: • Donating gift cards to EMS personnel. • Taking boxed lunches, snacks or other meals to local fire stations and police and sheriff’s departments. • Hiring a food truck to provide local first responders with a meal or treat. • Writing a letter of thanks. • Making cash or in-kind donations to department fundraisers. • Pooling resources to rent a billboard thanking first responders for their actions above and beyond the call of duty.

5($'< 72 +(/3 ³ Steve Heckathorn, acting chief of Nappanee EMS, displays a medical kit and stretcher used for the department÷s emergency responses, which average about three a day. Photo by Ray Balogh.