By Uriah Kiser
The Manassa Journal Messenger
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — They are on call 24-hours a day.
Nearly all of them say they got into the business to help people.
And though it’s not commonly known, emergency medical technicians are called to more emergencies than firefighters — and this week they are being recognized for their efforts.
Through May 23, in Prince William County and across the nation, National EMS Week will highlight the work of the men and women in the emergency medical services field.
Whether providing basic services such as bandaging a cut, to advanced services such as shocking someone’s heart back to life, each EMT can make the difference between life and death.
And the job is never easy.
In just over two years, Prince William County has lost three people.
“We’ve had a rough go of it to be honest with you,” said Tom Jarman, Prince William EMS operations captain. “We lost Johnny Thomas from the Dumfries department, he died of cancer, and then we lost Kyle [Wilson] almost immediately after. And then in less than a 24-month period we lost Cecilia [Turnbough].”
Prince William firefighter Kyle Wilson was killed while battling a house fire in April 2007 in the Rippon area.
Like all of the county’s career firefighters, the 24-year-old was also trained as an EMT.
Cecilia Turnbough was a 42-year-old volunteer EMT for the Dale City Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department when she collapsed and died in November 2008 during a training exercise.
She was training to become a firefighter.
Jarman said whether it is a career staff member or a volunteer who lost their life, the Prince William Fire and Rescue Association is one big family that comes together when one of their own is taken from them too soon.
And then they move on together.
Copyright 2009 Manassa Journal Messenger