St. Vincent's honors EMS heroes

This year first responders and their families packed the Hawley Conference Room at St. Vincent's Medical Center during the annual EMS awards ceremony to honor our partners from police, fire and EMS. We heard extraordinary stories of bravery and sacrifice:

Captain Marcus Dierna, an off-duty Bridgeport fire fighter saved a pregnant woman and her dog who fell through the ice.

Stephen Brunetti ensured that a 90-year-old neighbor had heat by sanding and salting her driveway to enable access for the oil truck and get the heat back on in her home.

Bridgeport Fire/Police rescued a man in crisis who jumped into Bunnells pond.

Jack Sheehan of Monroe EMS gave over 1,000 volunteer hours while going to college full time.

A 40-year nursing veteran, Adrienne Ziemkiewicz, is a Shelton EMS volunteer who also took the lead in Covid vaccination efforts.

Louis Bronson and Michelle Edler of Stratford EMS who promptly treated an aortic dissection. The patient survived and is now returning to work.

Janet Freeburg is an EMS volunteer every Friday night and also stepped up at Covid vaccine drives.

Trumbull Police officers Edward Bachiocchi and Caitlyn Murphy along with Trumbull EMS, and Nichols Fire Department cared for a 19-year-old in a traumatic motor vehicle accident who was in cardiac arrest.

Wes Yllanes of VEMS who led by example and showed a ride-along observer how to manage a difficult trauma scene with multiple patients.