Kevin

..I am a retired firefighter/paramedic after 33 years. I moved south and decided I couldn't take sitting around, so I went back to work. I worked on the road in Pinellas County, FL for 4 years until I had major surgery and then moved into the dispatch center. I moved to the 911 center and worked there for a while. I now am a dispatch supervisor in the center in Tampa, FL. We dispatch for Hillsborough, Pasco, Hardee, Highlands, and Orange counties from this center, so it makes for busy days. I miss fire fighting, but know that I am just too old to do it anymore. I started in 1978, working for an ambulance service and putting myself through college. I worked for Med Tech Ambulance and also Jay County EMS. (worked in the Cadillacs at that time.) Then went to a funeral home based service on their first paramedic unit and also set up their air ambulance service before moving to Indianapolis and working for the fire department. I worked for Indianapolis Metropolitan Fire Department(City of Lawrence Station 40-334)I also worked for the Indianapolis 500 and did both fire and medical coverage for the track for over 10 years. I worked on the main track unit. That was so much fun, going as fast as you could in the ambulance and still have the cars pass you at over 200 mph. It seemed as if you were standing still. I also worked at one of two level one trauma centers there and did the transport coordinating for the ER.(This was at Wishard also known as the Wiz). I still maintain my certification as a paramedic after 33 years. I am also a certified emergency medical dispatcher through the Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatchers. I am the A Shift Supervisor and am currently upgrading our CAD to version 12 EMD Dispatch protocols and also with adding Pro QA ambulance dispatch to our system.I am working to assist getting our accredidation as a dispatch center of excellence. I have fun now not having to do so much work, but it is still busy, the only way to be. I work also with the Soldiers' Angels organization to help with the veterans of all the services and work with James A. Haley VA Medical Center. My father was in the Army and my wife's father retired after a long career in the Navy. !!!I was just honored with a commendation by the US Army Freedom Team from the Chief of Staff of the United States Army and the Secretary of the Army for my Volunteer work with the veterans.!!! God bless our troops. I enjoy working on this site, because it gives me something to do that makes me think. Working in html format is fun if you haven't done it in a while. Thanks again for visiting my site and also sign my guestbook if you get a chance. Also, if you have a guestbook, let me know and I will gladly sign yours. Thanks for supporting our emegency services and also supporting our troops so we all have a great place to be free. God Bless you and God Bless the U.S.A. Kevin