American Ambulance Association honors David Grabowski and Paul Allen with Stars of Life award
LARGO, Fla. (June 26, 2019) – Two Sunstar Paramedics employees have received the American Ambulance Association’s Stars of Life award. David Grabowski and Paul Allen were recognized for their outstanding service and dedication to the emergency medical services (EMS) profession.
Paramedic David Grabowski, who joined Sunstar Paramedics in 2010, was honored for his actions during a high-risk emergency call involving a drug overdose patient. Grabowski’s calm demeanor and clear direction guided his team in caring for the patient, resulting in a positive outcome.
Grabowski is a critical care paramedic on a Sunstar Paramedics’ Critical Care Transport team and a member of the County Tactical EMS team, which supports the Pinellas County Sheriff’s SWAT operations. He’s achieved the prestigious Tactical Paramedic-Certified rating and Flight Paramedic-Certified rating from the International Board of Specialty Certifications.
Paul Allen, a communications training officer at Sunstar Paramedics, was recognized for his commitment to training new emergency dispatch officers since he joined Sunstar Paramedics in 2012. He developed a new Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) training program for Sunstar’s communications center personnel, which teaches candidates how to handle emergency calls. Each PST candidate is required to pass an exam before becoming an emergency dispatch officer in Sunstar Paramedics’ Communications Center.
Allen created exam review packets and developed new ways to present the information required in each section of the PST program. He also created an electronic training system to track candidate’s process toward completion and to allow training officers to immediately see how candidates are progressing through training. Allen added several scenario-based questions to the 50-question final exam, which helps assess candidates’ readiness for the position.
“David and Paul exemplify the leadership qualities that Sunstar Paramedics values,” said John Peterson, chief operating officer of Sunstar Paramedics. “We’re very pleased they’ve been recognized for their commitment to the EMS profession.”
Grabowski and Allen were among 100 emergency service personnel recognized during the Stars of Life Celebration in Washington, D.C. on June 24-26.