Amanda Reichel
Award Received:
Position and Agency:
Award Details:
This year’s awardee was the first licensed AEMT at her organization. Her story is one of perseverance, resilience, and unwavering dedication to her calling in EMS.
The Chief reported “As the paramedic shortage in rural EMS continued to worsen, our leadership team took a hard look at how we could adapt and sustain high-quality emergency care for our community. We evaluated our options and made the decision to invest in developing the AEMT provider role—an under- utilized and often overlooked resource in the state of Missouri.”
The Chief continued “Though we were fully committed to this initiative, our options were limited; at the time, only hybrid AEMT courses were available for our area. That didn’t stop our team. We enrolled a trial group of employees into one of those hybrid programs with the vision of proving the value of this licensure level—not just for our agency, but for rural EMS systems across Missouri.”
This year’s awardee stepped up without hesitation. Ultimately, she became the first in the group to pass the program, earn her license, and pave the way as the first AEMT ever employed by Osage Ambulance District.
