Jessamine County EMS personnel win top Kentucky Ambulance Providers awards

Several Emergency Medical Services department personnel received awards during the Sept. 20-23 Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association (KAPA) conference in Lexington, Jessamine County Fiscal Court announced recently.

Chief Aaron Stamper and Education Coordinator Jamie Goodpastor were recognized with KAPA’s “Above and Beyond” award. Paramedics Carrie Horn and Jason Taylor received the Kentucky EMS Providers Challenge Runners Up award. Paramedic Janine Mackey received the KAPA Presidential award.

Stamper, who also won the 2015 KAPA Director of the Year award, said his “Above and Beyond” award is especially meaningful because “it is the culmination of the work of all of our personnel.

“With Director of the Year, you are recognized for pushing your organization forward—work that you strive to do every day,” he said. “This year’s Above and Beyond award is even more special because, in my case, it relates to the work done to lead JCEMS after the loss of JCEMS paramedic John Mackey, and our work to push the enactment of the “Mackey Bill” (Senate Bill 43). The Mackey Bill is named after JCEMS John Mackey, who died while on duty in November, 2015; it extends line-of-duty death benefits to Kentucky emergency medical services (EMS) workers and was signed into law on April 1, less than six months after Mackey’s death.

“The Above and Beyond Award that I was given for my efforts could have been handed to each and every person in our department, so I feel that I was, more or less, receiving it on their behalf,” he said.

The Presidential Award presented to John Mackey’s wife, JCEMS Paramedic Janine Mackey, is also related to the Mackey Bill.

“Janine led the charge to get the bill passed in Frankfort,” Stamper said. “Just days after laying her husband to rest, she picked the mantle up and started fighting for other paramedics and their families—even though there was a real chance that her family wouldn’t benefit. Janine was always worried about the next family—and she wanted to fight for them.

“The Presidential Award is KAPA’s highest award, and Janine truly deserved it,” Stamper added.

Education Coordinator Jamie Goodpastor’s Above and Beyond Award was also well-deserved, according to Stamper.

“Jamie’s award was for his outstanding work to enhance EMS education in our department, and throughout Kentucky with the State Education EMS Committee,” Stamper said. “Because of Jamie, JCEMS has become the ‘gold standard” for EMS departments,” Stamper said.

“We’re extremely proud of Aaron (Stamper) and the JCEMS team,” Jessamine County Judge/Executive David West said. “The goal for our entire county is to continue to work to grow and improve, whether it’s tourism, our Road Department, or Parks and Recreation—and EMS is leading the way.

“These awards—and the regional and statewide attention that they draw—are evidence that the culture of excellence we are striving to create is working. When EMS professionals across the state see this, they will know that Jessamine County’s EMS is a department to watch and emulate, and they will know this would be a great place to work and live. And because iron sharpens iron, EMS’s drive and accomplishments will continue to bleed over to other departments, and even other communities.”

For more information, contact Jessamine County Fiscal Court at (859) 885-4500, visit www.jessamineco.com or like “Jessamine County, Kentucky.”