Elliot Zaret is this year's recipient of the Fairfax County 2012 Basic Life Support Provider of the Year Award. In addition to his patient care and mentoring, Elliot spent countless hours utilizing his woodworking skills crafting a table that now graces the new firestation.
In nominating Zaret for the EMT of the Year Award, Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department President Joan Bliss said:
“A person can be recommended as EMT of the Year for any number of reasons. Spectacular life-saving efforts, of course, are noteworthy, but it's the volunteer EMT who, day in and day out, serves not only the public, and who also helps other volunteers become better EMTs, who deserves mention and recognition at year's end. Elliot Zaret, an EMT with Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department, Station 12, is an outstanding example of what an EMT should be. Elliot is a skilled, experienced EMT, who rides regularly, and who puts in a large amount of volunteer hours every year. Having witnessed first-hand Elliot's performance in the back of an ambulance, it is obvious that Elliot is a capable caregiver to every patient we encounter. Luckily, there are many volunteer EMTs in Fairfax who are technically skilled, and who contribute copious hours of their free time serving the public, and they're to be
commended, but Elliot offers something more than that … He is an excellent guide and facilitator to new members at our station. He is always willing to patiently walk a person through every step of working on a ambulance shift, from signing in, to checking the medic or ambulance, to learning where all the equipment is stored, to ultimately interacting with the patient and performing assessments and interventions that are needed. Even when he is not actually working on a shift, Elliot will come to the station at any
time to help new volunteers become comfortable with the station and units. He will also take the time to ride along with the newly-minted EMT in the ambulance, letting them-work up to and even past their previous comfort levels.
Elliot helped organized both our 70ft Anniversary celebration as well as our Open House. And whenever someone is needed to pitch in, Elliot is always one of the first to volunteer his time and energies…”