Honored Members
Heroes
Line of Duty Deaths
“All gave some, some gave all.”
Jefferey Cartledge
Acadian Ambulance Service, Air Med
The evening of September 3, 1989, Jeff Cartledge and PHI pilot James Stettler were killed when the helicopter they were flying was involved in a mid-air collision with a small single engine plane in Houma, LA.
Ann Gartman
D’Arbonne EMS
On March 15, 1996, Annie Gartman, 53, was enroute to Union General Hospital in Farmerville with 2 injured patients. It was raining heavily and she was driving on a rural highway. On a curve the ambulance hit a 4-inch drop in the pavement, “sling-shotting” the vehicle across the road. Annie Gartman was the only casualty.
Debora Scott
Borden Chemical / Our Lady of the Lake College
Debora Scott, 36, an EMT with Borden Chemical, and a student at Our Lady of the Lake College under the Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Program, died on November 14, 1999, from injuries she received in a violent ambulance crash the previous day.
Shane S. Brown
DeSoto Fire Department
Shane S. Brown, 25, lost his life in the line of duty on December 24, 2003. He was on a medical call of a lady down with respiratory distress in Mansfield, Louisiana. Driving to the site he crossed railroad tracks and was hit by an oncoming train, causing multiple explosions, throwing the rescue vehicle over 60 feet.
Joseph Grace
St. Tammany Fire District 4, Mandeville, LA
Joseph Grace, 47, following a busy shift on July 8th with the Mandeville Fire Department, collapsed while at his second job as a paramedic the following day and died July 10, 2009.
Christopher Peterson
Ward Four Fire Protection District
Christopher Peterson, 22, died on September 3, 2011 while responding to a medical call. The vehicle failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the road, striking an embankment and several trees.
James Stettler
Acadian Ambulance Service, Air Med
James Stettler, a pilot employed by Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., and assigned to Acadian Ambulance Air Med Services and flight medic Jeff Cartledge died when the helicopter they were flying was involved in a mid-air collision with a small single engine plane in Houma, LA.
Keith Knight
Acadian Ambulance Service
Keith Knight, 32, lost his life when an 18-wheeler struck the ambulance on Highway 12 near Ragley, Louisiana on May 20, 1999. The ambulance driver was attempting to make a U-turn on the roadway when the vehicle was struck in the side by the truck. Knight was ejected from the ambulance and died at the scene.
Benjamin C. Rouchon
Acadian Ambulance Service
Benjamin C. Rouchon, 25, lost his life on December 12, 2003. He was responding to a medical call when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed. Ben was halfway through his paramedic training and was a 2 1/2 year veteran Emergency Medical Technician.
Don McCloud
Acadian Ambulance Service, Air Med
Don McCloud, a pilot employed by Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., and assigned to Acadian Ambulance Air Med Services for seven (7) years, lost his life in a helicopter crash while returning from transporting a burn patient to Shreveport, LA. The crash occurred ten (10) miles north of Alexandria, LA. The flight paramedic on board survived the crash with moderate injuries and was able to walk away from the accident scene to call for help.
Thomas Widcamp
Cameron Parish EMS
Thomas Widcamp, 38, died October 9, 2009 after strong winds knocked a trailer for the Cameron Parish EMS off its blocks pinning him between the building and a car.
Dedication
Individuals who made major contributions to EMS
Also individuals with 20 years service in EMS
Arthur “Doc” Musser
Westwego EMS
Tim Butcher
Elaine P. Nunez Vo-Tech
Earl Baloney
St. John Parish
Dr. Arthur Vidrine
Phil Alimia
Westwego EMS
Alvin “Billy” Dupree
New Orleans Health Dept, EMS
Paul Marmino
Crowley Fire Dept
Joe Prock
DeSoto EMS
Ben Giovengo
East Baton Rouge EMS
Robert “Bob” Chadborn
East Jefferson Hospital EMS
Dr. Bradley
Chalmette General Hospital
Dr. Eduardo Marvez-Valls
LSU Dept of Emergency Medicine
Mario Scramuzza Jr.
St. Tammany Fire District 3
John P. Matran Sr.
Betty “EMS Betty” Kerry
Louisiana Bureau of EMS
Pioneer
Dr. Norman McSwain Jr.
A man whose life was EMS
We would like to give special honor a man who advanced Pre-Hospital Care and the entire EMS system here in Louisiana and around the world! Pioneer, educator and friend.
Dr Norman McSwain’s life will be remembered for the impact he made on emergency trauma care. As a member of the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma, he helped develop the Advanced Trauma Life Support and the Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support programs. His methods are widely regarded as the standard for trauma care outside hospitals.
His practices have been taught to more than 500,000 people in 45 countries. He was also the only physician in the American College of Surgeons’ history to achieve all five major trauma awards.
Dr. McSwain served as director of trauma for the Spirit of Charity Trauma Center at the Interim LSU Hospital was a surgery professor at Tulane’s School of Medicine. He also served as a consulting medical director for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for almost 30 years.
Originally from Alabama, Dr. McSwain is credited for the creation of emergency medical service programs in New Orleans and Kansas.
Dr. McSwain earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama before joining the faculty at the University of Kansas, He was later drawn to New Orleans because he believed Charity Hospital to be “one of the three most important trauma centers in the United States.”
Dr. McSwain spent his time in New Orleans as he did in Kansas—he helped lift Interim LSU Hospital to become a Level I trauma center and started training police in basic emergency medical and paramedic procedures.
In Memoriam
EMS Family Members
Gone but not forgotten
Dexter Burris
Mike Moss
Randall Johnson
Ryan Coleman
James Roach
James Pelepsin
Larry Smith
LeRoy Hanes
Joyce Edwards
Errin Dupres
Mike Crippin
Joe Carbo
John Batiste
Timothy Powdrell
David Ford III
Charles Salley
Shellie Overton
Angie Smith
Ray Bunkley
Donald Payne
Todd Fortier
Teri Slaughter
Jason Huey
Larry Hinson
Willie Juneus
Walayer Ledet
Steve Higgins
Joe Cutreu
Gerald Cromier
Clarance Orgeron Jr.
Wayne Williams
Kim Sanford
Robert Dumas
David Carroll
Murphy Taylor
Karen Holefield
Cecil Bergeron Jr.
Michael Borque
Curtis Grappe
Joyce Shearen
Derrick Sandberry
Georgia Harley
Richard McCurley
Murphy Taylor
Ronald Stamps
Kristy Primeux
Ted Boudreaux
Chad Colter
Wayne Swanner
Ramsey Sigrest
Jerrel Williams
Darrell Johnson
Jerry Fortenberry
Vernon Gobert
Seth Carpenter
Jonathan Terhune
James White
Cathy Adams
Chris Legier
Ethel McDowell
Shanna Robinson
Eric Speed
Riley Terrebone
Terry Thompson
Carson Trusclair
Jack Waller
Salvador Fontana
Liza Nichols
Markus Savittiere
Barbara Timm
Donnie Whitlow
Keith Krasnoff
Tommie Adams
Ivy Keith Forrest
Todd Landry
Heather LeMaire
Jason Simon
Sabrina Simoneaux
Anthony Sparrow
Edward Ackless
James Barreca
Jerry Fugler
Christy Gallegos
Joseph Gaudet
Adrian Hawkshead Jr.
Raymond Levie
Joyce Minezza
Hyman O’Neal
Ta Juanda Sly
Donald Trahan
Mark Landry
Jack “Pete” Tolar
Thomas Linder
Kellie Steele
Donald Hessbruegge
Wendy Hough Courtney
Gail Johnson
Raymond Fondel
Trey Thompson
Todd Cash
Brandon Sarrett
Labryan Dotson
Richard Johnson
Adam Ross Reed
Jamie Falcon
Richard J. Lacombe
Joey Chaisson
Scotty Doster
Cathy Boyd
Theresa Williams
Kathryn Ann Murphy
Jason Delrie
Mark Lege
Janice Leigh Hill
Tom Tully Sr.