SPRINGFIELD, Colo. — Rick Hartley, 63, was killed in the line of duty Friday in a crash involving his ambulance and a tractor. His community remembers him as a local hero.
Hartley was the founder of the Springfield EMS Association, a nonprofit organization supporting the local ambulance service through fundraising and education, KKTV reported.
Hartley also taught a CPR class and offered it for free to anyone in the community. He was committed to suicide prevention and awareness, and organized a county-wide injury prevention program for school-age children.
He served on Colorado’s State Advisory Council on EMS, and was a member of the Southeastern Colorado Regional Emergency Trauma Advisory Council.
“Rick embodied the spirit of what EMS is meant to be: professionalism, compassion and a lot of hard work. A true hero if ever there was one, and a great mentor to me,” EMT Cherilyn England told KKTV.