By Stephen Smoot
Pendleton County Emergency Rescue has seen tremendous highs since a year ago last spring, but have also seen their resources stretched to the limit as they worked to protect lives and property. All volunteer services notched a victory in Charleston with the passage of an aid package aimed at helping to improve the stipends provided for first responders.
Tina Eye welcomed the large crowd into the community building’s main room, then asked Roger Dahmer, county commissioner, to give the invocation. Dahmer thanked God for “providing all that is needed,” and finishing with “we thank You and praise You.”
Eye shared that the regular caterer had taken sick and could not provide the food. She then praised T&K Markets for standing in and ensuring that the evening kicked off with a great dinner. The buffet style meal featured smoked brisket, two styles of ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans, scalloped potatoes, cole slaw, fried chicken, and a breathtaking array of desserts.
The dinner alternated between featuring a festive and fun celebration of the dedication and commitment of those who serve now and have served in the past and recognizing the deadly serious work for which they volunteer their precious time and effort.
Eye introduced Justin Spratt as the main speaker for the event. Spratt serves as medical director for PCER. He opened his talk by admitting “I hate giving speeches,” but used his time to emphasize the vital need for continued communication.
“It’s an open line of communication to me. Just reach out,” he implored.
Spratt then celebrated some of the squad’s accomplishments over the year, including sharing that “we’ve gotten better with our call response times this year” and credited the state’s incentive plan for helping.
“Things seem to be looking up,” he commented.
Dahmer then expressed his appreciation for the work of PCER, stating that “both myself and the county commission . . . appreciate your hard work and dedication.”
Mike Alt, PCER training officer, expanded on Spratt’s comments concerning response times. He said of bringing the average times under 40 minutes, “We haven’t done that in several years.” Alt added that he liked seeing crews coming back together and “squads mixing and matching.”
He added that he appreciated the support from the county commission and finished by touching on the fact that “new rules are coming out that we’ll be briefing everyone on.”
Charlotte Hoover then came to the podium, laughing and saying, “I have no idea why Tina made me go first.” Hoover shared a fortune that she had received in a cookie recently. It read “enthusiasm is infectious, stimulating, and attractive.” She smiled and added, “A little enthusiasm goes a long way.”
Hoover kicked off the part of the evening where “awards” were granted to responders who endured unusual or awkward situations. Recipients shared stories of funny events on different calls. Attendees laughed, clapped, and enjoyed the stories from different responses.
Eye said, “It’s all in good fun, folks, all in good fun.”
With the fun and games prizes done, Eye turned to the work of honoring those who have performed outstanding service. She first introduced Dave Ellis, the recently retired captain of the rescue squad who also served as a medic for school sporting events.
Ellis served from 1999 to 2023, filling several different vital roles during his tenure of service. “Thank you for all of your years of service,” she stated.
Next, she honored Alt “for all his commitment and dedication to PCER.” Eye explained that “a lot of you don’t know how much he does behind the scenes,” particularly in administration, insurance matters, and billing.
Eye then shared that PCER had an unfortunate backlog where years of service had not been publicly recognized. She started with 2021 to name all who had achieved recognized benchmarks.
In 2021, Mark Verdoni completed five years of service. Donna Bowers, Larry “Bucky” Evans, Samantha Long, and Bruce Minor each had completed 10. Amberly Bennett, Delmas Bennett, and Melanie Evans each had completed 15 years of service. Dale Kile had 20 years in with Tammie Bowers 25, Teresa Bowers 30, and Diana Mitchell completing her 35th year at that time.
Next, Eye presented awards to those who reached service benchmarks in 2022. Will Hedrick and Tim Hook had completed 10 years and Amy Warner 15. Amanda Mowery, Cathy Mullens, and Alt had each reached the quarter century mark, while Hoover completed her fourth decade of service.
For the year 2023, Lyle Hartman, Stephanie Hartman, and Kim Hulmes each finished five years of service. Jimmie I. Bennett completed 10 while Ricky Bennett, Seth Bowers, and Eye each finished 15. Darren Hedrick, John Manly, Kristi Manly, and Willard Martin each completed two decades with PCER. Jerry Bowers and Trent Alt each were recognized for 25 years in service.
In 2022, PCER created bronze, silver, and gold categories based on the number of calls worked by individual volunteers. The bronze list for 2022, which listed all who took part in between 50 and 100 calls, included Will Hedrick, who responded on 53 calls, Angie Ellis (58), Delmas Bennett (60), Amberly Bennett (70), Eye (73), Lyle Hartman (78), and Dave Ellis (85).
The silver group, who were on between 101 and 201 calls, included Minor (101), Doug Rupe (124), Bobby Davis (125), and Bob Grimm (181). Gold level responders were Ruby Crown with 210 and Hulmes with 309.
The 2023 bronze category listed Angie Ellis with 58, Eye (65), Will Hedrick (68), James Ryan (68), Minor (82), Davis (85), and Mike Alt (92).
Those earning the silver designation were Crown (108), Doug Rupe (137), and Dave Ellis (197).
Grimm with 249 and Hulmes with 316 earned gold status.
