2024 Awards Nominations
The South Carolina EMS Association (SCEMSA) 2024 EMS Awards nominations are now open. This is your opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of EMS professionals who have made a significant impact at the community, state and national levels.
Nominations have closed.
Several awards categories have been updated, and a new award has been introduced this year to honor even more dedicated individuals who support EMS services across the state.
Key Changes for 2024: 
- New Award Category: Dedication to Service Award
This award recognizes individuals who enhance EMS services in non-clinical roles, such as law enforcement officers, pilots, supervisors, business managers, administrative assistants, and similar positions. It honors their continuous positive efforts to improve the quality of EMS services across South Carolina.- Updated Criteria: System of the Year Award
Previously categorized by services with more or less than 2,000 calls, this award now distinguishes between services that responded to more or less than 12,000 calls in the previous year.
How to Nominate:
Nominations are open to EMS professionals, community members, and organizations. If you know someone who has gone above and beyond in their service to EMS, now is your chance to spotlight their contributions.
Nominations should reflect achievements made during the 2024 calendar year, and most categories will require a nomination statement, supporting documents, and a photo of the nominee.
Nomination Deadline:
All nominations must be submitted by December 13, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. This is a firm deadline, and no nominations will be accepted after this date.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kelly Watson.
Awards Ceremony:
The award recipients will be honored at the EMS Awards Reception in March 2025.
To learn more about the submission process, judging criteria, and selection procedures, download our awards policies here. For a detailed list of award categories, including eligibility and criteria for each, download the complete awards list here. We encourage everyone to take part and recognize the hard work and dedication of those in the EMS community!
Award Categories
Each of the following awards recognizes individuals or services that have made significant contributions to EMS at the community, state, or national levels, based on their role or certification level.
EMT of the Year Award
Criteria:- Presented to an EMT who has contributed most significantly to EMS at the community, state, and/or national level. This award is not for heroic acts.
- Any EMT whose primary responsibility is providing direct patient care.
AEMT of the Year Award
Criteria:
- AEMT who has contributed most significantly to EMS at the community, state, or national level. This award is not for heroic acts.
- AEMT only. Open only to those whose primary responsibility is providing direct patient care.
Paramedic of the Year Award
Criteria:
- Paramedic who has contributed most significantly to EMS at the community, state, or national level. This award is not for heroic acts.
- Paramedics only, with direct patient care responsibilities.
Jack Niles Educator of the Year Award
Criteria:
- Recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to EMS improvement through education and training.
- Any individual involved in EMS education, certified as an EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic Instructor.
Albert Futrell Director of the Year Award
Criteria:
- Recognizes EMS/RS Directors who have made significant contributions to EMS at the community, state, or national level.
- Open to any director of a licensed ambulance service—paid or volunteer.
Robert D. Lesslie, MD Medical Control Physician of the Year Award
Criteria:
- Recognizes medical control physicians who have significantly contributed to EMS at the community, state, or national level.
- Open to any medical control physician.
Emergency Nurse of the Year Award
- Recognizes EMS nurses who have significantly contributed to EMS at the community, state, or national level.
- Open to any registered nurse involved directly with EMS.
EMS Telecommunicator of the Year Award
Criteria:
- Recognizes those who have contributed most effectively to EMS dispatch operations. Not for heroic acts.
- Must work or volunteer to dispatch EMS as part of their duties.
Small System of the Year Award
This award recognizes an ambulance service with fewer than 12,000 calls in the previous year that exemplifies outstanding professionalism and service to its community.
Criteria: The service should demonstrate excellence in any of the following areas:
- Exceptional programs/results in training of personnel.
- Significant community awareness of the importance of the local EMS system and/or professionalism of the system’s employees, as shown through:
- Letters from patients
- Local government support
- Local media coverage
- Awards received
- Meaningful contributions to citizen awareness regarding injury prevention, EMS access, and career opportunities through:
- School programs
- Business support
- Health fairs, etc.
- Exceptional public relations, education/training, or community outreach programs that engage the community regarding EMS.
Large System of the Year Award
This award recognizes an ambulance service with more than 12,000 calls in the previous year that exemplifies outstanding professionalism and service to its community.
Criteria: The service should demonstrate excellence in any of the following areas:
- Exceptional programs/results in training of personnel.
- Significant community awareness of the importance of the local EMS system and/or professionalism of the system’s employees, as shown through:
- Letters from patients
- Local government support
- Local media coverage
- Awards received
- Meaningful contributions to citizen awareness regarding injury prevention, EMS access, and career opportunities through:
- School programs
- Business support
- Health fairs, etc.
- Exceptional public relations, education/training, or community outreach programs that engage the community regarding EMS.
Criteria:
- Recognizes individuals in non-clinical roles (e.g., law enforcement, pilots, supervisors, administrative assistants) who significantly enhance EMS services in South Carolina.
- Nominees must be in non-clinical paid or volunteer roles with an EMS organization and should demonstrate a continuous positive effort to improve EMS quality.
Warren D. McBride Lifetime Achievement Award
Criteria:
- Recognizes those who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving EMS in South Carolina.
- Open to anyone involved in EMS improvement, typically in administrative roles without direct patient care responsibilities.
H. Dean Douglas South Carolina EMS Advocate of the Year Award
Criteria (at least one of the four required, not all):
- Significant efforts to educate and build foundational relationships with elected government leaders in South Carolina.
- Serving and engaging South Carolina EMS professionals through advocacy activities.
- Impacting South Carolina professionals in which one’s abilities to grow personally and professionally are fostered through advocacy.
- Actively pursuing quality patient care and outcomes via advocacy efforts.
- Open to any individual or organization demonstrating exemplary support for EMS at the local, regional, or state level.
Nominate a deserving EMS professional today and help celebrate the heroes who make a difference every day.
Nominations have closed.
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