Owego EMS Chief to Receive EMS Provider of the Year Award

From Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY):

During this year’s Firemen’s Association of the State of NY (FASNY) Convention, EMS Chief Karen L. Rathke of the Southside Fire Company and First Responder Unit will receive the prestigious ‘EMS Provider of the Year’ award for proving to be an effective incident commander during an emergency that called for organization during chaos.

At the annual convention, EMS Chief Rathke will be awarded a medal and plaque on Wednesday, August 17th at the Edgewood Resort in Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Islands.

BACKGROUND

Rathke has been EMS Chief for the past three years and has been a member of the company since 1994 when she joined at the age of sixteen. Volunteering has always been important to her, and she feels fortunate to live in a place where neighbors still help neighbors in times of crisis, and last December she proved this all to be true.

On the evening of December 11th, 2010, the Southside Fire Company and First Responder Unit were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash described as a car into a tree. The dispatch was then updated with the vehicle being on fire with possible entrapment. Rathke and her husband responded directly to the scene as the crash was between their home and the fire station. Upon their arrival, the cab of the vehicle was found to be fully engulfed in flames with the occupant visibly trying to escape the vehicle. Rathke called in an initial on-scene report to dispatch to update other responders of the situation.

David Rathke, Karen’s husband and Captain of Southside, knocked down the flames with a fire extinguisher enough so that the victim could free himself of the wreckage and be pulled away from the vehicle. Karen extinguished the man’s burning clothing with her hands. She began treating the victim and provided an update of the situation to dispatch, acting as both the initial provider and incident commander, and requesting the helicopter.

The victim was conscious with an initial assessment of severe burns and Karen was able to speak with the victim and keep him calm on the scene. Care of the victim was turned over to Owego ALS providers on their arrival, and Karen then supervised the extinguishment of the fire. The victim was stabilized by the Owego ambulance crew and transported to a Syracuse hospital via helicopter.

During the entire incident, Karen kept focused and proved to be an effective incident commander when faced with this type of emergency. She does not see herself as heroic, but rather as part of a well disciplined team of people who have devoted their lives to the service of others.

Karen also received the firefighter of the year award at Southside’s annual awards banquet for her efforts.