EMS Provider of the Year Award

2025 Recipient

Otisco Fire Department

EMS Provider of the Year Application Download Application

On July 6, 2024, Otisco Fire Department responded to a rare and difficult early morning call. A woman had been seriously injured and trapped under a tree while resting in a hammock at a 400-acre concert venue. The scene was deep in the woods, beyond open fields and in wet and muddy conditions.

Otisco members — Austin Shute, Ben Reed, Don Nichols, Doug Bloodgood, Harry Harty, Kate Fischer, Mike Spicer, and Terry Fischer — reached the patient quickly and assessed the complex situation. A large tree had snapped and crashed down, collapsing the canopy over the hammock and pinning the woman underneath. She had a serious head wound, and her neck and back were broken.

With calm focus and teamwork, members used chainsaws and hand tools to carefully cut away branches just inches from the patient’s body. After 15 tense minutes, she was freed, stabilized, and moved into a stokes basket. Thanks to the department’s planning, their UTV was already onsite and helped transport her safely to an ambulance.

The woman later underwent emergency surgery and is now recovering. She credits the Otisco crew for saving her life. For their skilled, brave, and compassionate response, Otisco Fire Department is honored as the 2025 EMS Provider of the Year.

Past Award Recipients