The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and EMS World have announced the 2021recipients of the National EMS Awards of Excellence, including two IAFF members: Tidewater Federal Fire Fighters (VA) Local F-25 member Jeremy McElroy and St. Petersburg, FL Local 747 member Derek Perez-Piris. The awards recognize their outstanding contributions to the EMS profession and the patients they serve.
“Congratulations to Brother McElroy and Brother Perez-Piris on these well-deserved, prestigious awards,” says General President Ed Kelly. “Thank you for being the exemplary leaders that you are and doing what you do every day.”
Local F-25 member McElroy is being honored with the 2021 NAEMT/Nasco Paramedic of the Year Award. McElroy, who works for the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services in Norfolk, Virginia, was nominated because he is always seeking ways to build and improve his skillset as a paramedic and pass his knowledge along to his fellow fire fighters and paramedics.
McElroy is a decorated paramedic who previously received two Navy Fire & Emergency Services Life Saving Awards, a Significant Achievement Award for his triage and treatment of a critically injured patient and an Outstanding Pre-Hospital EMS Provider Award from the Tidewater EMS Council.
Local 747 member Perez-Piris is being honored with the 2021 EMS World/Dynarex EMS Caring Award. Perez-Piris, who serves as a fire fighter, paramedic and flight medic with the St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Bayflite, has always strived to go above and beyond the call of duty for the citizens and community he serves.
In 2017, he responded to a house fire involving a six-year-old boy who suffered serious burns to 75% of his body. Perez-Piris arranged for the boy’s favorite Marvel character to surprise him at the hospital where he was being treated. He has also traveled to Haiti twice to teach advanced medical training, CPR and wound sterilization.
The awards will be presented during the NAEMT’s General Membership meeting and at the EMS World Expo. Both will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, in October. NAEMT is a national association representing the interest of emergency and mobile health practitioners. EMS World serves EMS providers by providing the latest industry information in a print publication, website, podcasts, and via webinars and its signature EMS World Expo.
