By Staff
NILES – In honor of EMS Week, May 20-26, Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS) is pleased to announce that Martha Velez has been selected as the SMCAS "Star of Life" Award Winner.
Velez was recognized for this award at the Michigan EMS EXPO in Lansing on April 21.
She was also recognized on May 16, at the State Capitol Building in Lansing, as a part of Ambulance Awareness Day, along with the winners from other ambulance services in Michigan. She was recognized in both the House of Representatives and the Senate Chambers.
Velez was chosen for this honor by a vote of her peers, according to Marlene J. Beach, executive director of SMCAS.
She has been with SMCAS since 2001, starting her career as a wheelchair van driver. While working on a full-time basis, Velez went to school and obtained her EMT-Basic license. Shortly after that, she was hired as a full-time crewmember. She recently attained the level of EMT-Specialist.
She is a role model for new employees. She rarely calls in sick and is always ready to help in times of need. Velez helps serve as a trainer for new hires. SMCAS has received many thank-you notes from patients who were very grateful for the care and compassion Martha gave them.
It addition to her service to the EMS industry, Velez is also an avid volunteer in her hometown area. She serves as a member of the Howard Township Fire Department and was recently put in charge of the Department's First Responder Unit. In addition to serving locally, Martha used her own vacation time to travel to Slidell, La. to help relieve the overworked Slidell Fire Department after Hurricane Katrina.
She is a very positive energetic person. Her upbeat personality helps alleviate the day-to-day stress that is a normal part of EMS.
Velez has many notable qualities that have earned her this award. She was awarded this honor not for any one single deed, but for her outstanding service for the EMS industry and the community as a whole.