First responders from West TN Helene honored by Trump in Jackson

Twenty-six first responders and various organizations from Madison County and surrounding counties were honored for their rapid assistance following Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

After being deployed for two weeks in East Tennessee’s Unicoi County and tasked with searching, rescuing and treating 261 people, emergency personnel returned home Nov. 1 to be honored at a special ceremony.

Elected officials and senior EMS personnel hosted by the Jackson-Madison County Health Department thanked first responders for their enthusiasm and courage during the deployment.

Sen. Ed Jackson, R-Jackson, presented each honoree with a signed letter of appreciation for President-elect Donald Trump’s work.

“He (Trump) said, ‘I should recognize these people and thank them for what they’ve done for the people who’ve been devastated,'” Jackson said. “They lost everything, many lost their lives, and they lost everything they had. I can’t imagine this, but he wanted to personally thank the first responders in a letter he signed.”

Contributing agencies include Lexington Ambulance Services, Jackson-Madison County Health Department, Jackson-Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office, Madison County Emergency Management, Madison County Fire Department and West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS.

Ambulance Strike Teams, which are among the groups deployed to East Tennessee, are a group of five or more ambulances operating under associated communications and command personnel and responsible for quickly responding to disaster areas, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Department of Health EMS Office Director Brandon Ward says West Tennessee’s strike team is the best in the state.

“We have some of the best ambulance strike teams of any state in the United States, but let me be the first to tell you that our West Tennessee team is the best of the strike teams,” Ward said.

Typically it takes eight to 12 hours to mobilize a strike team, but Ward says the West Tennessee team was ready to go within four hours.

He said the team has been sent to Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina in the past five years, but this is the first time they’ve been activated in Tennessee.

West Tennessee EMS Directors Association President Glynn Mooney praised both first responders for their efforts and the sacrifices of their families who stayed home and supported their loved ones while they were away.

In addition to the deployment of the county’s field hospital, assets such as cell towers were also sent to combat the lack of service at the scene.

Mooney, who also serves as the Director of Lexington Ambulance Services, described the impact in terms of the number of people in care.

“261, when you get that many patients out to the field through our ambulance services, which takes an hour to an hour and a half, they were transported one way because all the surfaces in the low-lying area were destroyed, and as you know, the hospital was completely under water,” Mooney said.

The following individuals were recognized for their disaster relief efforts:

Taylor Allen, Madison County Fire Department
Daniel Beck, Madison County Fire Department
Mary Beckham, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Danny Beecham, Henderson County Emergency Medical Services
Adam Cook, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department
Gary Deason, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Jason DeBruyn, Madison County Fire Department
Brad Dickson, Decatur County Emergency Medical Services
Eric Echtenkamp, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Nick Elder, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Tanya Garrett, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Jimmy Gilbert, Decatur County Emergency Medical Services
Robert Gilliland, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Trent Harris, Office of the Medical Examiner
Jeremy Hicks, Madison County Fire Department
Randall Jimenez, Madison County Fire Department
Bryan Kemp, Madison County Fire Department
Debra Larkins, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Terry Lee, Office of the Medical Examiner
Keith Middleton, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department
Lynn Mooney, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department
Gary Moore, Madison County Fire Department
Russell Noles, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS
Carlton Pope, West Tennessee Health Medical Center EMS
Eric Turner, Madison County Fire Department
Ryan Wilson, West Tennessee Healthcare Medical Center EMS

Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. Subscribe to the Daily Briefing to support local journalism Here.

Related Posts