Two DeKalb EMS Employees Awarded

Two employees of the DeKalb County Ambulance Service have been honored for their response to a serious traffic accident in July.
Marie Turpin, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Critical Care (EMT-PCC) and Jamie Parsley, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) were recognized Friday during the Region IV Upper Cumberland EMS Director’s Association Fall Symposium held in Cookeville.
Turpin received a 2017 “Paramedic of the Year” award and Parsley was honored as “EMT of the Year” for Region IV. Turpin was one of three “Paramedic of the Year” award recipients in the region.
During this conference, the association awarded EMTs and Paramedics from within the Upper Cumberland Region, who have excelled in their patient care and overall performance in service to the counties in which they serve. The nominations for these awards are carefully reviewed and considered by the members of the Director’s Association.
Turpin and Parsley were nominated for these awards by DeKalb EMS Director Hoyte Hale. They were on duty at the ambulance service when a two vehicle crash occurred on Sunday, July 30 at Highway 70 near the intersection of Hurricane Ridge Road
Trooper Mark Jones of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that a 17 year old boy was driving a 2007 Pontiac G5 pulling from Hurricane Ridge Road to go east on Highway 70 when he crossed the path of a 1999 Ford F-150, driven by 45 year old Steven Glynn of Dale Ridge Road, Dowelltown. Glynn was traveling west on Highway 70.
Members of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Extrication and Rescue Team were summoned because the teen was pinned in his car. The boy was picked up at the scene by a helicopter ambulance and flown to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
Glynn was not injured.
In nominating Turpin and Parsley for the awards, Director Hale described their response in treating the injured wreck victim. “Arriving on the scene, they could see a vehicle with significant damage to the driver’s door and a 17 year old male patient unresponsive and not breathing until C-spine was taken. Once natural alignment was obtained the patient began breathing again. Turpin requested air medical be launched due to signs of closed head injury. The patient remained unresponsive during extrication but Turpin and Parsley remained with the patient continuing treatment. When the patient became accessible and total spinal immobilization was established the patient was moved to the ambulance. The life of this young man was in the hands of these two Emergency Technicians. The patient was intubated with assistance of Life Force 2 medical staff and flown to a level I trauma center. He remained in the hospital for 25 days and is expected to make a full recovery,” said Hale.
“Being mothers of their own boys, these two outstanding EMS personnel put all emotions aside and used every effort and years of training to keep this young man alive. Many other pre-hospital providers from our region have provided great service for their community and deserve to be recognized but I feel this crew deserves the EMT of the Year Award. Due to their hard work, and pulling together as Turpin and Parsley did, this young man has a new chance on life,” wrote Director Hale in making the nominations.
In response to Turpin and Parsley receiving the awards, Director Hale said “As a director I am proud of these two ladies for their caring and dedication for their patients on a daily basis and I am honored that DeKalb County EMS has received an award for the fourth year running now in the Region IV area. Congratulations to Marie and Jamie,” Hale concluded.