Medic awarded for EMS services

Bill Dahlke, a volunteer for South Central EMS, was granted the Pete Vase Medic of the Year Award for 2013.

The award is given to one EMS crew in the state of Wyoming each year. This year, at the Annual Trauma Conference held in August in Cheyenne, Dahlke was presented the award.

“This is probably once in a life time thing,” Dahlke said.

The award goes to those who, not only show exceptional skills as a medic, but also help the community, said Bob Dean, EMT-P for the Wyoming Department of Health.

“The Pete Vase Award has become a very prestigious kind of award,” Dean said, and goes to medical service providers in Wyoming.

Dahlke said he started his volunteer career as a medic 28 years ago after he began to work at Carbon Power and Light.

Dahlke was working in Ryan Park with his partner, when his partner fell out of a tree. Dahlke didn’t know what to do.

“I didn’t have enough training to help him very well,” Dahlke said. “I felt pretty helpless.”

Dahlke went home that evening determined to be better prepared.

“I went home home and told my wife we were taking an EMT class,” Dahlke said.

Dahlke is now the EMS ambulance director and chairman of the board for South Central EMS.

Dahlke said he continues to serve the community as an EMT because he wants to help the community.

“There is a need in the community and there are not a lot of people that do it,” Dahlke said.