KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Larry Jones, one of the last still-working EMTs who responded to the 1981 skywalk collapse at the former Hyatt Regency Crown Center, has retired at the age of 54.
Colleagues commented that his 34-year long career was uncommon in its longevity but attribute it to his personality, according to BND.
"[Medics] tend to have more realistic expectations of what the job entails,” said Connie Meyer, president of the National Association of EMTs. “You can’t go in for the thrill of it. Not every call is life-threatening or an emergency.”
Only three days into his career, Jones rushed to the Hyatt, where victims were buried under debris so thick that it took cranes and jackhammers to free them. Among those he transported were a paraplegic whose wheelchair protected him and a man who survived while the woman next to him was crushed.
The disaster killed 114 and injured 200.
Like many others, Jones was changed. He took up firearms and worked out his frustrations on the firing range, BND said.
But he always seemed capable of coping, said Larry Colt, former operations manager for MAST ambulance service.
“I’ve seen a lot of them come and go,” he said. “Thirty-four years is really uncommon in this job.”
Now he’s ready to get out of EMS before he gets hurt, said BND, instead focusing on travel and his grandkids.
Still, he’s uncomfortable with all the attention he’s receiving over his retirement.
“I’m just a guy that did his job,” he said.