Written by Laura Christmas

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla -- Clay County Fire Rescue has been honored as this year's prestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award winner for its exceptional Community Paramedicine Program. This recognition signifies the outstanding achievements of the program in promoting and implementing preventative care, as opposed to the traditional reactive emergency response.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award, now in its 22nd year, is given to emergency medical service individuals, teams, or organizations that have remarkably demonstrated a commitment to injury and illness prevention.

Established in memory of Nicholas Rosecrans, a young boy who tragically drowned in 1996, the award epitomizes the spirit of proactive care. It emerged from the efforts of San Diego paramedics and Nicholas's mother, Lynn Artz, who united to advocate for EMS-driven prevention initiatives, changing the face of first responder intervention.

The Clay County Fire Rescue Community Paramedicine Program, founded in 2019, is a beacon of such innovation. The program's initial primary objective was to improve Clay County residents' independence and quality of life. The program transcends mere medical intervention. It's a system where firefighter paramedics engage with residents, understand their unique needs, and facilitate connections to essential community resources. From durable medical equipment to health education, the program ensures that community members receive care and have the necessary tools and knowledge to maintain a higher quality of life and prevent future emergencies.

Since its inception, the Community Paramedicine Program has continually expanded to meet the data-demonstrated needs of its community. In 2022, the Clay County Fire Rescue team launched the Overdose Prevention and Education Program (OPEP) through their Community Paramedicine Program with the support of a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Clay County's OPEP provides free Naloxone training and distribution, with 2,663 naloxone kits distributed and 590 individuals trained from October 2022 to July 2023 alone. This dedicated approach has significantly contributed to a 27% decline in overdose-related fatalities in Clay County since 2020.

The success of the Clay County Fire Rescue Community Paramedicine Program lies in its community-focused approach and its push for interoperability and collaboration with important Clay County community health and wellness stakeholders. Key partnerships have been pivotal to their delivery of grants from the Center for Disease Control and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Clay County Fire Rescue’s work with organizations such as its regional Opioid Task Force, Clay Department of Health, Clay Behavioral Health Center, The Hanley Foundation, and St. Vincent's Hospital showcases the commitment to working alongside their community resources.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award was conferred to Clay County Fire Rescue during the opening ceremonies at the EMS World Expo on September 20th in New Orleans in front of thousands of EMS professionals and organizations from around the world. Additionally, Clay County Fire Rescue staff led an EMS World Expo session on injury and illness prevention, introducing attendees to their innovative approach toward community health and safety.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award is facilitated by the California Paramedic Foundation and the RedFlash Group, in cooperation with EMS World. This year’s award is sponsored by Mission Critical Protocols, a new protocol publishing platform for EMS providers.

About the Nicholas Rosecrans Award

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award, now in its 22nd year, is given to those extraordinary individuals, teams, or organizations who make a significant impact in preventing injury and illness before they even happen—flipping the traditionally reactive 911-paradigm on its head. The award is named after a young boy, Nicholas Rosecrans, whose tragic drowning in 1996 deeply impacted a group of driven San Diego paramedics. Following his death, these paramedics effected change through EMS-driven prevention programs across Southern California. The delivery of these early programs demonstrated a clear value in having first responders integrated into injury and illness prevention initiatives.

Recognizing this value to communities, paramedics joined forces with Nicholas' mother Lynn Artz to create a national award that would highlight and promote successful EMS prevention programs across the country. The Nicholas Rosecrans Award has recognized diverse programs addressing injury and illness across all age groups. Each year the winner is internationally recognized at the EMS World Expo during the keynote address, with Nicholas Rosecrans' mother Lynn Artz personally presenting the award. During the Expo, each winner leads a concurrent session in which they teach attendees about their approach to the injury or illness issue they have identified. About the California Paramedic Foundation The California Paramedic Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to education, prevention, and collaboration in paramedicine. In California, its recent work has focused on innovative EMS programs in community paramedicine, opioid use disorder, successful aging for seniors, and health information exchange.