The week of May 18 marked the 46th annual National EMS Week. Dawson County emergency medical service personnel were provided lunches for the week and honored for their services. 

“EMS Week is a time where we can honor our front line personnel and say thank you for their hard work, dedication and commitment to serving our great community,” Dawson County Fire Chief and EMA Director Danny Thompson said. “We are extremely proud of our Paramedic and EMT firefighters here in Dawson County. They perform at a high level every day to keep our citizens safe.”

Operations chief Jason Dooley explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced emergency personnel to change and adapt, learning new protocols and operations, but due to the hard work of the department things have gone smoothly.

“Since late March, we’ve asked a lot more of people,” Dooley said. “But we haven’t had any complaints about anything, and we really appreciate how well they’ve adjusted. 

EMS Chief Robby Lee said that Dawson County first responders have much to be proud of and that the department stands out for many reasons.

“We’re always staying up to date on our medical protocols,” Lee said. “And we started carrying plasma too — only us and three other counties do that.”

Robert Richards, who was named firefighter and EMT of the year, said that he loves being a first responder in Dawson County.

“It’s great doing both fire and EMS,” Richards said. “And it just always feels good giving back to the community.”