STAATSBURG – In Honor of EMS Week, the Dutchess County EMS Council, under the leadership of Chrissy Eighmy, held the annual EMS Awards Ceremony on Wednesday. Eighmy noted that this year’s theme was “Honoring Our Past. Forging Our Future.” while reminding the elected officials in attendance that the EMS crisis being felt across the state and country is being battled by the honorees and their colleagues in the room.
“We’re here not only to recognize the outstanding achievements of our EMS providers,” Eighmy said, “But also to remind our elected officials that the Dutchess County EMS Council remains persistent in addressing the EMS crisis head-on to find sustainable solutions.”
The annual event honored EMS providers, agencies, and local hospital staff. Several 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatchers from Dutchess County Emergency Response and one from the City of Poughkeepsie 911 were among the honorees recognized for their work and dedication in the field. 911 dispatchers are typically the first line of assistance in responding to emergencies.
Dutchess County Emergency Response Commissioner Dana Smith represented County Executive Sue Serino at the dinner, saying, “As we continue to highlight the importance of EMS as an essential service, we are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of so many dedicated people who are serving in the EMS field, helping to save lives every day. Serino issued a statement, saying in part “When people call 9-1-1 for help, they have the expectation of getting help quickly.” In a room full of people well aware of the EMS crisis, Smith noted that Serino is aware and the county is working toward short- and long-term solutions.
In 2023, public safety dispatchers at the Dutchess County 9-1-1 Center answered more than 210,000 individual phone calls and dispatched assistance to over 118,000 individual incidents through the 9-1-1 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
In recognizing the increasing “burnout” rate among EMS providers, Eighmy and Vice-president Robert Ridley, the Deputy Chief of the Fairview Fire District had all EMS providers with five years of service to stand, of which many did. As the number of years increased, the number of people standing declined. With more than 50 years of dedicated EMS service and experience, Dee Sagendorph of Staatsburg was the last person standing. Former Staatsburg Fire District Commissioner Todd Bender exclaimed “It really shouldn’t surprise anyone in this room. Dee and DeWitt (her husband) have likely saved more lives in Dutchess County than anyone else. They are icons in the emergency services field.”
The honorees for their actions in 2023:
Basic Life Support Provider of the Year
Kyle Maxwell – Northern Dutchess Paramedics (NDP) EMS
Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year
Heather Fraleigh – NDP EMS
EMS Agency of the Year
East Clinton Rescue Squad
Harriet C. Weber EMS Leadership Award
Jeffrey Cotter – Rhinebeck
EMS Educator of Excellence
Susan Prezzano – NDP EMS
Communications Specialist of the Year
Erin Downing – Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response
Excellence in Quality and Safety
Dutchess County 911 – Group 3
Registered Professional Nurse of Excellence
Heather Fraleigh – Northern Dutchess Hospital
Physician of Excellence
Dr. Dan Miller – Northern Dutchess Hospital
EMS Mentor
Captain Susan deHaan – East Clinton Rescue Squad
EMS Lifesaver
Racheal Bourne – City of Poughkeepsie 911
Photos from the event:
