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Talbot Paramedic Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary Saturday September 18th with a crowd of more than 200 at East Coast Flight Service’s 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 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 DiagonalBaltimore.com was projected on the massive walls.
Everyone in attendance got an 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 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, Ray Taylor who had on a neck collar from an injury, his blood pressure went up so high the collar burst off his neck,” 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 5 stations throughout the county.
In 2001 Talbot Paramedic Foundation and the Talbot County Council were jointly sited by the International Association of Fire Chief’s 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.”
Talbot Paramedic Sponsors)( l to r) Greg Gannon of CH Gannon & Sons, Stacie Monz of WCEI Radio, David Fike of the Star Democrat, Steve Alt representing East Coast Flight Services, and Commander Dan Erdel of Talbot Post 5118. Not pictured are Provident State Bank and Pascals Restaurant and Tavern.
Dan Bridges raised more money for defibrillators/monitors than any other contestant winning “Talbot Paramedic Foundation Character of the Year.”
Senator Richard Coulburn, Delegates Addie Eckart & Jeanie Haddaway present proclamations for 25 years of service to (l to R) Talbot Paramedics director Sylvia Gannon, President Will Howard, Secretary/Treasurer Sheila Wainwright, Vice President and Chairman of the event Wayne Dyott.
Talbot Paramedic Foundation celebrated it’s 25th anniversary with a fundraising event “Character Bowl of Talbot” with 5 persons trying to raise the most money to replace ageing heart defibrillator/monitors. (LtoR). Talbot Paramedics President Will Howard, character contestants John Murray, Cornelia Heckenbach, Chris Brian, Miranda McKay and Dan Bridges. The five raised $38,000 with Bridges winning the title “Character of Talbot County.”
Talbot’s first paramedics were all-volunteers in 1985. Talbot County Council President Buddy Harrison presents proclamations to them at the 25th Anniversary of the Talbot Paramedic Foundation. (l to r) are Wayne Dyott, Harrison, Gary Jones, Leroy Taylor, Jr and Kevin Knussman. Marc Stockley was not in attendance.
All photos by Chip Brian
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