Longtime EMS worker Darrell Smith was recently honored to receive the 2011 Arrowhead EMS Association “Friend of EMS Award.” Smith is retiring this month from his position as director of the Cook County Ambulance Service and has been teaching and advocating for emergency services for decades.
On January 21, Darrell Smith of Grand Marais was awarded the 2011 Arrowhead EMS Association “Friend of EMS Award.” Arrowhead EMS presents this award each year to an individual whose contributions to emergency medical services have impacted the Arrowhead region either within their community or throughout the region. In Darrell’s case, he was recognized for both local and regional efforts.
Darrell has been actively involved in EMS since 1974, when he took his first EMT test. He then became a volunteer EMT for Cook County Ambulance Service. This was before pagers and before it was a paid service. Darrell took on the job because he cared for people, not the pay.
In 1984, Darrell was one of the founding members of Cook County Search & Rescue, and he has been instrumental in the formation of First Responder groups in numerous small communities—Schroeder, Tofte, Lutsen, Colvill, Grand Marais, Hovland, Grand Portage, Maple Hill, and Gunflint Trail, so that the injured and sick could start receiving care much sooner.
Darrell is an EMT/First Responder instructor and State of MN tester for Hibbing Community College and has trained most of the EMTs and First Responders in Cook County.
He has been a CPR instructor for 28 years. In 2001, he was appointed as a regional affiliate of the American Heart Association.
Darrell has served as an Arrowhead Emergency Services board member, as a MN Ambulance Association board member and on the local Health Care Planning Committee. He has served as a member of the Cook County North Shore Hospital Preparedness Team, which created a countywide umbrella for emergency services to help build unity within the EMS systems.
Darrell helped school officials apply for and receive a grant to provide juniors and seniors EMT training in which they receive college credits and learn valuable skills. He encourages young people to get involved in First Responder groups.
Since the beginning of the local and the regional EMS conferences, Darrell has volunteered his time.
He has been instrumental in radio communications in Cook County and participated in medical planning for Fisherman’s Picnic and the Dragon Boat Festival.
Darrell is a member of the Regional Critical Incident Stress Debriefing team and has been there for crewmembers and non-crewmembers to help with the aftereffects of a tragic event.
In 1999, Darrell was the recipient of the Arrowhead Pre-Hospital Care Provided Award.
In 2003, he received the Rural Health Hero Award.
In 2006, he was named the Arrowhead Associate of the Year.
In 2009, Darrell received the Toward Zero Deaths EMS Award and the MN Star Award.
He has been the Cook County ambulance director since 1997 and will be retiring at the end of January 2012.
In explanation of his recent Friend of EMS Award, it was stated “Darrell has proven his dedication and commitment to the entire Arrowhead region in numerous ways. He has always been a role model and mentor to the rookies [and] shown a calm, caring attitude and compassion for not only patients and their families, but everyone he meets.
“His level of skill and professionalism goes way above what is expected of him. Darrell gives of his time and has served Cook County and the entire Arrowhead region without expecting praise or recognition, all the while giving direction, praise and recognition to his fellow EMTs and First Responders. He is the ‘quiet type of hero’ not only to EMS, community members, but to his family as well.”
His sister, Robin DuChien, summed up the thoughts of Darrell’s family and many community members when she said, “Darrell—you are our hero!”
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