By Andrew Adkins
The Daily Independent
ASHLAND, Ky. — The bride should’ve been dead six months before the wedding.
She’d wrecked her car on U.S. 60 in a violent, head-on collision.
She was trapped inside; motionless, gasping for air.
But she couldn’t breathe.
Soon, her heart would stop pumping blood. The chances an ambulance would arrive quickly enough to save her life were slim. If she was lucky, luckier than most, she’d survive with permanent brain damage.
But a Boyd County paramedic just happened to be driving by in an ambulance. He witnessed the wreck and flipped on his siren.
When he got there, he realized “It was really bad. A really bad wreck,” he said. “The driver – she was not breathing. I was able to get to her almost within a minute of the accident. If someone had called 911, an ambulance wouldn’t have gotten there in time. She would’ve been dead.”
The paramedic connected a breathing tube down to the woman’s face through the car window and shared his oxygen.
The maneuver kept the woman alive before she was transported to the hospital. At the time of the accident, she was engaged to her high school sweetheart and the wedding was a few weeks away.
She recovered, but the wedding needed to be postponed. The delay gave the woman time to add one more person to the guest list — the EMT who saved her life.
That man’s name was Tom Adams.
“I actually got an invitation to that wedding,” Adams told The Daily Independent. “And I actually went.”
Adams retired from his post as director of Boyd County EMS on Friday, nearly 38 years after his first day with the agency.
Saving that bride-to-be was “one of those defining moments” of his career, Adams said.
Extending lives of the people in his home county produced several more unforgettable moments for Adams. But what he’ll remember most about the job are the bonds formed with colleagues, mentors and protégés.
“The relationships I’ve built with the public and with the EMS community in general,” he said. “I’ve made some good friends along the way. And I hope I’ve influenced the outcome of a lot of people in positive ways. You just hope you can make a difference.”
Adams, 58, started with the Boyd County Emergency Medical Service when he was 21.
He said now’s the time to start driving a camper more often than an ambulance.
“About two years ago, I had a close call with my health. I decided I didn’t want my retirement to happen on the same day they dragged me out from behind my desk. I wanted to leave when I was still healthy, so I could fully enjoy my time with my family. Now, I can hook up the camper and explore the country,” said Adams, an avid outdoorsman.
On Friday, colleagues and members of the community wished Adams well at a retirement ceremony.
“I just hate to see him go,” said Boyd County Emergency Management Director Tim England. “I’ve known Tom for over 25 years. He has gone well beyond just being a paramedic in the county, and he’s a good friend. It doesn’t matter what time, day or night, if you call him he’ll help you.”
In addition to directing Boyd EMS for almost 11 years, Adams served on the board of directors for the Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association. He was president of the state association for the past six years.
“Tom is the epitome of a paramedic,” said Boyd Sheriff Bobby Jack Woods. “And he ran this ambulance service efficiently. He always found a balance between the taxpayers and the employees here. He did a really good job and I’m very proud of him. I wish him lots of luck.”
Adams said he’s confident his successor, Charles “Chuck” Cremeans, will serve the community well. Cremeans has worked with the agency for 22 years and officially took the helm today after spending the past 18 months as deputy director.
Adams said anyone interested in following in his footsteps and entering the world of emergency medical work should know what to expect.
“It’s an outstanding profession, but you either love it or you hate it. It can be exciting, it can be stressful,” said Adams. “But it’s incredibly rewarding when something goes right. When you can go home, and you can look in the mirror and say, I saved a life today. That’s what makes it all worth it.”
Copyright 2017 The Daily Independent
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