Southcoast ‘Hero for Health’ Awards Presented to First Responders  

During National EMS Week, 36 departments honored for service to their communities

Southcoast Health announced that 36 municipal departments providing emergency medical services (EMS) across southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island are the recipients of the not-for-profit community health system’s 2021-22 Hero for Health Awards.

“We recognize that your departments continue to go above and beyond the call of duty, especially during these past two years, placing your lives on the line throughout the pandemic,” Southcoast Health President and CEO Dr. Ray Kruger, a onetime emergency medical technician (EMT) himself, told first responders during a National EMS Week ceremony. “The sacrifice, dedication, and service you and your teams provide cannot be overstated. All of us owe you a debt of gratitude.”

The annual Southcoast Health Hero for Health Award is presented to outstanding leaders who, through their work, advocate for optimal health and wellness in the region. Marylou Sudders, Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accepted the 2020-21 award.

“Southcoast Health has played an indispensable role in improving the health and safety of the people of our area,” said Acushnet Fire & EMS Chief Kevin Gallagher, who announced during the event his upcoming retirement after 34 years of service. “From Charlton Memorial’s Heart and Vascular Center to the new Level II Trauma Center at St. Luke’s and the Tobey Emergency Center opening in Wareham on May 25, our neighbors’ lives have been saved and will continue to be saved by this organization. I’ve seen it firsthand, many times over.”

The following departments are Southcoast’s 2021-22 Heroes for Health:

Acushnet Fire & EMS

Barnstable Fire Department

Berkley Fire & Rescue Department

Bourne Fire Rescue & Emergency Services

Carver EMS

Centerville Osterville Marston Mills Fire Department

Cotuit Fire Department

Dartmouth STAT Dartmouth EMS

Dighton Fire Department

Fairhaven Fire Department

Fall River Fire Department

Falmouth Fire & Rescue

Freetown Fire Department

Hyannis Fire Department

Lakeville Fire Department

Little Compton Fire Department

Marion Fire & EMS

Mashpee Fire & Rescue

Mattapoisett Police EMS

Middleborough Brewster Ambulance Service

Middletown Fire Department

New Bedford  EMS

Newport Fire Department

Portsmouth Fire Department

Raynham Fire Department

Rehoboth Ambulance Service

Rochester Fire Department

Sandwich Fire Department

Seekonk Fire Department

Somerset Fire Department

Swansea Ambulance Corps

Taunton Brewster Ambulance Service

Tiverton Fire Department

Wareham EMS

West Barnstable Fire Department

;Westport Fire Department