Everyday Heroes (Part 4): Patch Honors Oak Forest Paramedics and EMTs

After 31 years of missed anniversaries, birthdays, parties and special occasions, in a few months Lt. Tom Stotts will hop aboard an Oak Forest fire truck one last time. His fellow firefighters will drop him at his home, on his last day on the job. Stotts will then enter into a long-earned retirement.

Though he feels ready, he told Patch he'll probably end up back with "the guys," for coffee every once in a while. After so many years, it's hard to picture himself any place else.

The Oak Forest Fire Department's 24 full-time firefighters/paramedics, two paramedic chiefs, 10 part-time firefighters/paramedics and seven part-time firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians start at 7:30 a.m. They're on shift for 24 hours, then they're off for 48. They routinely miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and special occasions, as they respond to 3,000 calls each year. They are there for residents, when no one else is.

During the week of May 15–21, communities nationwide are recognizing those who provide emergency medical services–and Patch wants to do our part.  Each day, we'll be profiling individual members of Oak Forest's life-saving force. Today we feature Lt. Stotts.

Take some time and get to know the faces behind the fire department. You are the reason they do their job—and you matter to them.

National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line," according to the EMS Week website.