DAVID DUDDING
TITLE: Battalion Chief–Training Division
ORGANIZATION: Pender EMS & Fire Inc.
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “David is an extremely focused person always putting his full effort into whatever task or mission he is facing. More important, he is an accomplished EMS professional and teacher while remaining balanced with his family and spiritual life. While he has enjoyed many accolades from respected medical professionals throughout our region, personal observations shows that David epitomizes ‘service before self.’ David strives to make [Pender EMS & Fire] a world-class organization and has developed the program, expanding it to include field training officers for every shift, adopting a central on-line training facilitation program and conducting orientation as well as classroom training programs.
The program has been instrumental in training paramedics that are known as among the best in the business. Under his leadership, Pender EMS & Fire has been appointed as an Advanced Education Institution from the NC Office of EMS.
David continues to teach at Cape Fear Community College, where he has been described as ‘an enthusiastic, dedicated and motivating EMS educational instructor who engages student in every aspect of the class.’”
-Gary Poirier
NHRMC AIRLINK BLOOD SERVICE TEAM
WHAT THE NOMINATOR SAID: “The AirLink/VitaLink clinical outcomes team of Kevin Collopy [clinical outcomes manager] (pictured on top) and Robert Rostedt [BSN, RN, EMT-P clinical coordinator for AirLink/ VitalLink] (pictured on bottom) saw an opportunity to improve access to what patients experiencing severe bleeding need most: blood. Prehospital blood transfusions are known to increase 24-hour survival while also decreasing the total amount of blood needed during hospitalization, but are only available at about half of the EMS helicopters in the United States.
The AirLink team collaborated with the NHRMC Blood Bank to validate specially designed coolers and began carrying O-blood, the universal blood type that can be used with any patient, so that every patient flown would have access to blood.
This year alone, more than 250 lives have been impacted by either blood donated during AirLink Blood Drives or by blood administered to patients while being transported by AirLink helicopters.”
-Iris Baker
CHARLES R. “TOM” COLLINS
TITLE: Director of Emergency Management
ORGANIZATION: Pender County
WHAT THE NOMINATORS SAID: “When Hurricane Matthew hit, Tom had the county already primed and ready to expedite efforts to help the impacted citizens. Tom’s drive and tremendous experience were invaluable during the disaster.
He handles the overall disaster response and recovery. He deploys teams and has the contacts from across the nation to bring in support when an event is too big for the staff. He is amazing; he is humorous when we all need a laugh. During Hurricane Florence, he supplied the documents for State of Emergency, Mandatory and Voluntary Evacuations, and more. In collaboration with Pender EMS, there were 1,870 rescue missions -- plucking people from rooftops of flooded homes, from treetops, rescues by boat, swift water teams, 5-ton trucks, air boats and helicopters.
Tom works long hours, sleeps on cots, organizes a multitude of agencies . . . He retired from the state Emergency Management team and came to work for Pender County. He brought a wealth of experience and resources.”
-Craig Harris and Tammy Proctor
