Submitted photo

Brian Booe, center, receives the John Burwell Excellence in EMS Award. He is joined by Stokes County EMS Director Greg Collins, left, and Dr. Darrell Nelson, Stokes EMS medical director.

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Brian Booe, training officer for Stokes County Emergency Medical Services, recently received a prestigious regional award. He was given the 2013 John Burwell Excellence in EMS Award.

Booe is the youngest person to receive the award, as it is traditionally given to retiring EMS personnel after a long career.

But Booe is no novice. The paramedic has more than 20 years of fire and EMS experience under his belt and currently serves as training officer with Stokes County EMS and as a part-time firefighter with the city of King Fire Department, where he serves as lieutenant. He is also the former rescue chief of Walnut Cove Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

The award was presented to Booe on Thursday, May 9 at a banquet at the Hawthorne Inn. Family and friends were invited to attend the special event.

The award is named in memory of Stokes County resident John Burwell who dedicated his life to improving pre-hospital care, quality of life and the regional EMS system. It recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact in Emergency Medical Services within Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

Stokes EMS Director Greg Collins said, “Brian has done that.”

The regional EMS advisory council is in charge of selecting a recipient for the annual award. “We’re extremely proud of Brian and all our professionals,” said Collins.

Ever modest, Booe said, “I tried to get the group to nominate someone else.”

He added, “I feel honored to be in the same category as the past recipients.”

Booe has made a significant contribution to Stokes EMS. The cardiac arrest survival rate involving EMS pre-hospital care has improved from 5 to 35 percent over the past two years. Booe has assisted with that effort. Booe is also responsible for placing more than 80 Automated External Defibrillators in locations across the area.

Booe said, “There’s others that have helped me reach all these milestones.”

Another focus of Booe’s is the Operation Medicine Drop program, which he oversees locally. Booe has been active in encouraging people to properly dispose of medications. His efforts helped lead to permanent medicine drop containers being placed in local law enforcement agencies. He is also the chairman of Stokes Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities.

Collins said Booe is also active in providing additional education in the region.

Of Booe being one of the first active EMS employees to receive the Burwell award, Collins said, “That just shows you the work and effort Brian has done.”

Booe has a long list of credentials, including N.C. Certified Advanced Firefighter II; N.C. Certified Paramedic; N.C. Certified Level I Fire Inspector; N.C. Level I Hazmat Responder; American Heart Association AED, CPR and First Aid Instructor; Certified Level II Qualified Fire Instructor; Certified Level II EMS Instructor; Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor; Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor; National Child Passenger Safety Technician; OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations Emergency Response Technician; Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation credentialed; N.C. Emergency Management Type 1 Coordinator; National Academies of Emergency Fire Dispatch and Emergency Medical Dispatch credentialed; Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Faculty, WFUBMC; International Trauma Life Support Adult and Pediatric Instructor credentialed; Stokes County Buckle Up Coordinator; N.C. Criminal Justice Instructor; and more.

The county is meeting and exceeding national goals with cardiac care and local professionals are being asked to speak at engagements around the state. Booe said he is most proud of “a small rural county being able to complete so many things that the big services aren’t able to do.”