3 women paramedics of Lucas County honored for results in competition

4/16/2014

The first all-women team of paramedics from Lucas County was recognized Tuesday by the county commissioners for earning second place in the Journal of Medical Services' annual JEMS Games, an international competition for paramedics.

The games were in La Jolla, Calif, earlier this year.

The three team members — Lynda Bennett and Aislinn Charlton-Dennis from the Springfield Township Fire Department and Tammy Ohrt from the Toledo Division of Fire and Rescue — competed against 19 other teams in a variety of events testing their speed and patient-care technique, Brent Parquette, the team’s coach, told the commissioners. The women, who are also firefighters, were the first multiagency team ever to participate in the competition.

Ms. Bennett said the competition was important because it gave everyone a chance “to try and improve ourselves, improve our skills.”

They did just that by racking up big points throughout the entire competition held in late February, said Mr. Parquette, who is also Lucas County’s EMS continuing education administrator.

The final competition was a live “mock mass-casualty event” that simulated a stock-car race with a car crashing into the catch fence and throwing debris into the stands. The teams had to manage multiple patients in 22 minutes.