The Murray County EMS and Sulphur Fire Department were honored with several awards at the annual state conference of the Oklahoma Emergency Medical TechnicianAssociation held December 13 in Guthrie.
The EMS won Service of the Year Award for their response to the April 27 tornado in Sulphur and the rescue of a man that fell into a cave, south of Sulphur, in March 2024.
Jeff Parks, five-year employee of the Murray County EMS won ALS (Advanced Life Support) Provider of the Year Award and 12year employee Marilyn Trussell won the BLS (basic life support) Medic of the Year.
EMS Director Brad LanCaster said, “I am proud of my people and it has been an honor to lead and work with them during a very trying year.”
LanCaster has been with the EMS in Murray County for 25 years. Parks said, “EMS did a good job in a very bad situation” referring to the tornado.
The Sulphur Fire Department was awarded the EMRA(Emergency Medical Response Agency) Responder of the Year Award for their role in the tornado response and recovery.
Sulphur Fire Chief Pete Haines said the fire department is mandated by the Oklahoma Department of Health to be trained and assist EMS when needed.
Said Haines, “I look at as an award not only for the Sulphur Firemen and Volunteers, but also all the responders who came to assist the night of the tornado even in dangerous conditions.” Haines also included he Sulphur Public Works Department who he said never hesitated to respond immediately to move debris from roadways for emergency vehicles, put up barricades and block dangerous roads to protect the citizens of Sulphur; as well as the Murray County 911 Dispatch Center and Employees who were obviously inundated with calls and handled it very proficiently and professionally.
Officials Honored
Haines said we are fortunate in our community and county that all agencies work and train well together to prepare for such disasters. “It took us all to make it work,” Haines said.
