BELLFLOWER, Calif. (KERO) — 43 paramedics, including a man from Bakersfield, will be honored at the State EMS Authority's California EMS Awards on Tues, May 23.
Ed Smith of Bakersfield will be honored with the EMS Cross, considered to be "the highest award conferred in the absence of extreme conditions and extraordinary circumstances," according to Hall Ambulance. Smith worked for Hall Ambulance as an EMT and paramedic for 50 years before retiring in October 2022.
According to Hall Ambulance, Smith joined the company on May 5, 1972. He became an EMT in 1973 the company's third-ever paramedic in 1975. He also served as a Paramedic Field Supervisor for Hall Ambulance's West Kern Operations Area.
"Smith is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word who epitomized Mr. Hall’s ideals of care, compassion & community," said Hall Ambulance in a statement. "His dedication to Hall Ambulance Service and the citizens of Kern County is unparalleled."
The State EMS Authority's California EMS Awards will take place at the Mayne Events Center in Bellflower.
