Emergency Services Personnel Honored

The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce has honored members of the Greenwich Police and Fire departments Greenwich Emergency Medical Service for their work.

The Chamber selected an individual from each of the services that has contributed in a way that has changed someone’s life or contributed to enhance the town’s quality of life. The awards were given at the chamber's annual awards luncheon held at The Milbrook Club. The officers who received the honors were Police Officer Tommy Huestis, who has been the advisor for Explorer Post 45 for five years; Greenwich Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Sherry Hoffman, and Fire Lt. Christopher Moynahan.

Huestis volunteers approximately 200 hours a year with an additional six days of overnight trips for the program begun in 2006. Huestis initiated the Explorer Police Academy program. The academy had been available for many years but required a significant increase in the commitment by the coordinator as well as motivation on the part of the Explorers. The Explorer Police Academy is a massive undertaking in which the youths are immersed in the mock police academy run by coordinators from numerous program across the state, according to Greenwich Police. Huestis is the primary Basic Drill and Ceremonies Instructor for Explorer Academy that has 26 members.

In 2007 and 2008, the Greenwich Explorer Post under Huestis’s direction, won first place at the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Educational Conference for their outstanding performance.

Paramedic Hoffman was detailed to work as the GEMS paramedic assigned to the GPD Marine Division last June 26.  At 10:59 p.m.,  the patrol boat was dispatched for mutual aid into Stamford Harbor for a boat collision. A 31-year-old male had run his boat into the breaker wall at high speed.

The patient sustained a major head injury as well as internal bleeding from an injury to his liver, according to Greenwich Police. Hoffman treated the victim on scene who was extricated from his boat with the assistance of two Greenwich officers. He was taken to the Trauma Center at Stamford Hospital where he recovered from life-threatening injuries.

"This excellent outcome is a testimony to the skill and dedication of Ms. Hoffman as she was able to deliver the highest quality of pre-hospital emergency care in a difficult setting," Greenwich Police said in a prepared statement. "This call is also an example of the superior inter-agency cooperation between GEMS and the Greenwich Police Department, which allows us to deploy the only asset on Long Island Sound with advanced life support capability."

Moynahan is the organizer of Firefighter's Local 1042 charity golf tournament. The event has raised thousands of dollars over the years for charities such as the Connecticut Burn Center, Ronald McDonald House, Firefighter Cancer Support Network and Fairfield Pediatric Center in Bridgeport.

Moynahan has brought a new level of enthusiasm to hands-on training for the department his initiatives have enhanced firefighter health and safety on and off the fire scene. He has also taken a lead role in consolidating equipment and inventories, insuring that equipment repairs and service are completed in timely and efficient manner, according to the prepared statement. "The result has been an increase in reliability of equipment combined with cost effective replacement measures. Through Lt. Moynahan's efforts the Greenwich Fire Department operates in a safer more efficient manner."