Maryland Agency Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Talbot Paramedic Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary Saturday, September 18, with a crowd of more than 200 at East Coast Flight Services 12,000-square-foot hanger. The event, filled with dozens of proclamation presentations celebrated the story of the "Fab 5," the first five all-volunteer paramedics starting the emergency service a quarter century ago. It also revealed the success of the "new Fab 5," five Talbot citizens vying for the title of "Character of Talbot County" by raising the most funds for the replacement of 5-year-old heart monitor/defibrillators carried on each paramedics unit.

Cornelia Heckenbach, Miranda McKay, Chris Brian, John Murray and Dan Bridges raised over $38,000 over the last several months for the purchase. Bridges, who won the first "Character of the Year," title said, "I've lived my whole life in the county and I think the negative connotation of this title fits me better than the positive. I couldn't be prouder of the people in this county, who in these economic times, gave the amounts they did. I think it is fantastic."

Oxford Greens catered the event, filling the hanger with sparking lights on trees loaned by Robins Nest Florist. An antique Stearman biplane, provided by Joe Caccamise, and a Maryland State Police Helicopter decorated the open entrance to the hanger with a bandstand used by musicians from "A Classic Case." A large image of the event's poster created by Alexey Ikonomou of Diagonal Baltimore.com was projected on the massive walls.

Everyone in attendance had the opportunity to witness the emergency services in action as Maryland State Police helicopter "Trooper 6" was dispatched during the party to take an accident victim to University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore. Prop wash from the blades whooshed across the room as the jet engines roared the unit into the air at 7:49 p.m. It returned an hour later.

Senator Richard Coulburn, Delegates Addie Eckhart and Jeanie Haddaway, and Talbot Council President Buddy Harrison presented proclamations to the "Fab 5," Wayne Dyott, Kevin Knussman, Ray Taylor, Marc Stockley and Gary Jones. He also presented proclamations to Talbot Paramedic President Will Howard, Vice President Wayne Dyott, Secretary/Treasurer Sheila Wainwright and founding board member Sylvia Gannon for their 25 years of continuous service.

Harrison, a former paramedic, reminded guests of the struggles and frustration of surviving the early days of the effort. "We had battles on every front," he said. "The first time we met with the County Council, we didn't get anything." Harrison described the tension of dealing with the council to get funding in one meeting. "The questions they were asking us were so off the wall," said Harrison. "We went back into budget session the following years and got $5,000 to buy a $25,000 truck."

Talbot County Council fully funded the program when both Harrison and Dyott won seats on the council in 1998. It is now the largest agency in the county government with 82 full- and part-time employees and five stations throughout the county.

In 2001, Talbot Paramedic Foundation and the Talbot County Council were jointly sited by the International Association of Fire Chiefs for having one of the safest small towns in the country after distributing over a hundred defibrillators in all county offices and private businesses.

Harrison also presented proclamations to Dr. David Hill, Dr. Charles Schoenfeld, Marge Callahan-Palazzolo, Shore Health System and Easton Volunteer Fire Department, "who without their support, vision and belief we would have gotten nowhere."

The Star Democrat, WCEI Radio, East Coast Flight Service, C.H. Gannon & Sons, Provident State Bank, V. F. W. Post 5118, Pascal's Restaurant & Tavern and Shore Health System sponsored the event.

For more information, visit www.TalbotParamedic.org.