By Keith Griffiths, EMS1 Contributor
Jay Fitch received The National Association of Emergency Medical Technician’s highest honor this month when he accepted the Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award.
The agency’s most prestigious award, it recognizes a lifetime of commitment and contributions to EMS. Fitch received the honor during the NAEMT annual meeting Nov. 10 at the EMS World Expo in Nashville, Tenn.
“Jay Fitch embodies the passion and dedication of our nation’s EMS that has – and will – inspire future generations,” Severo “Tré” Rodriguez, executive director of NREMT, said in a press release.
He is the 30th recipient of the award, named after Morando, who was the founder of the National Registry, a founding member of NAEMT, and a legendary figure in EMS who helped shape the profession as we know it.
Other honorees include such pioneers as Norman McSwain, Roger White and Walt Stoy.
This year also happens to be the 30th anniversary of the national consulting firm, Fitch & Associates, that Fitch co-founded. I’ve known him for those three decades and then some, and I continue to be to be impressed by his dedication to the field (as well as his travel schedule).
He began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Virginia, became a police officer in Missouri, then an EMT in Washington, D.C., and later one of the first certified paramedics in South Carolina.
In 1979 he advanced into management and consulting positions, and in 1984 he pioneered Fitch & Associates, which provides management and information services to health care, government and professional associations.
On a more personal note, here are some other facts you might not know about Fitch:
- He is a proud father and grandfather who always finds time to appreciate his family, even at his most busy.
- He’s an instrument-rated pilot and commutes from his farm in Natchez, Miss., to consulting and speaking engagements in a Mooney Acclaim, one of the fastest single-engine aircrafts made in America.
- He and his wife Kathy are active volunteers with their local Humane Society. At any given time they foster six to eight abandoned or abused horses and seven to 10 puppies.
- Last fall he was presented with a Key to the City of Natchez for his community service.
From leading the turnaround of a troubled EMS system, to inspiring thousands of EMS leaders through lectures and articles, Jay Fitch makes a difference wherever he is, however he can.
Keith Griffiths is a writer and consultant in communications and outreach for public safety and health