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Conn. EMS honors longest-serving volunteers

Lyme Ambulance members Carter Courtney and Tom Darna were recognized in an awards ceremony as they made their last calls

By Elizabeth Regan
The Day

LYME, Conn. — Two of the Lyme Ambulance Association’s longest-serving volunteers have made their last calls and retired.

The ambulance association in a press release announced 36-year volunteer Carter Courtney’s last shift was in June and 25-year volunteer Tom Darna’s was Thursday.

Courtney joined the volunteer organization in 1988, going on to serve on its Board of Directors and as a training officer. Carter was also a member of the Lyme Fire Company.

Darna’s quarter century of service included six years as ambulance association chief.

They were honored at an award ceremony in June.

Current Chief of Service Steve Olstein during the ceremony described the men as “responders, mentors, elder statesmen and friends.”

“And I want you to know how grateful your colleagues are for helping to prepare them to carry on Lyme Ambulance’s mission of providing high quality emergency medical response, transport and education to our friends and neighbors,” he said.

Lyme Ambulance is a private, all-volunteer emergency medical services provider incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1975.

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