First Responder for May – EMS Administrator John Hitchens

This month, we chose EMS Administrator for the Star City Fire Department, John Hitchens, for the first responder of the month of May. Here’s more with WDTV:

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. (WDTV) – “John is, stuck out to us because of his dedication to education and to improving the standards for emergency care,” says partner of the Manchin Injury Law Group Tim Manchin.

John Hitchens is an EMS administrator for the Star City Fire Department and he’s also this month’s First Responder of the Month.

“It was a little overwhelming, it’s nice to see that the fruits of your labor outside of the people that you instruct and the people that you’ve helped along the way, it was very humbling, very much an honor,” says EMS Administrator for the Star City Fire Department and recipient of the First Responder of the Month Award John Hitchens.

Hitchens focuses on education and has a resume that backs that up. He’s a critical care paramedic, the highest-level paramedic attainable in the state, but Hitchens also has his Associates Degree in business and come September, that Associates Degree will be topped by a Bachelors Degree in business.

“John’s resume is, I mean is, extremely long and it exemplifies care, it allows him to use his education to make paramedics and other emergency first responders better at what they do,” says partner and attorney for the Manchin Injury Law Group Taylor Downs.

Making people better at what they do, that’s Hitchens’ goal. He says that EMS has only been around since the 70’s and it’s constantly evolving.

“It’s important because you’re educating the people that are going to be taking the reins when we’re down and we’re retired, it’s a young man’s game to be in EMS anymore and our legacy is teaching the ones that are going to take it over down the road,” says Hitchens.

But Hitchens’ community involvement doesn’t stop there, he’s decided to donate his $250 award to the Pantry Plus More.

“It’s just such a worthy cause and they do such great things, it was really not a hard decision,” says Hitchens.

“We get money and funds from people like John and other organizations that volunteer and give us the funds and we couldn’t survive without them and we’re planning to open to have some more food giveaways and because of his generosity, we’re able to continue to do this,” says the President of the Monongalia County Commission and Board Member for Pantry Plus More Tom Bloom.

If you would like to nominate someone to be a First Responder of the Month, please visit www.manchininjurylaw.com/nomination.

WDTV News Segment

John Hitchens Interview

Tom Bloom, Tim Manchin, John Hitchens, Taylor Downs Award Presentation