UCONN HEALTH WATERBURY HOSPTIAL HONORS AREA FIRST RESPONDERS
UConn Health Waterbury Hospital honored several first responders and EMS agencies during its annual EMS Awards Banquet on May 20, recognizing outstanding EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, educators, EMS leaders, hospital staff and emergency service organizations for their dedication and service to the community. Additional recognition was presented to multiple agencies and crews for exceptional performance during significant emergency incidents throughout the past year. Honored teams included agencies that responded to a major school bus accident in Southbury in February, teams that responded to a gas leak in Naugatuck in November 2025, and Naugatuck responders who saved the life of a man suffering a heart attack.
Honorees included:
- EMT of the Year: Rosalinda Servin, American Medical Response (AMR)
- William “Boomer” Boucher Paramedic of the Year: Lynne Schieferstein, AMR
- EMS Educator of the Year: Keri McDermott, Oxford EMS (Emergency Medical Service)
- EMS Leader of the Year: Travis Smith, Bethlehem EMS
- 911 Telecommunicator of the Year: Breanna Toomey, Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communication Center (NWCTPS)
- EMS Service of the Year: Waterbury Fire Department
- Supporter of EMS Award: Kathryn Myers, RN, UConn Health Waterbury Hospital
- Supporter of EMS Award: Nicole Maloid, RN, UConn Health Waterbury Hospital / TVAC / NEFR
Southbury Ambulance Association received a Unit Citation for Outstanding Action for its response to a multi-patient bus accident. Crews demonstrated exceptional scene management, rapid patient assessment and strong interagency coordination under high-pressure conditions while ensuring timely treatment and transport of patients.
Naugatuck EMS received a Unit Citation for its response to a multi-patient carbon monoxide incident on Allerton Road in Naugatuck on Nov. 1, 2025. Responders quickly identified the hazardous environment, initiated evacuation procedures, coordinated patient care and ensured the safe treatment and transport of multiple patients to area hospitals. Their rapid actions and teamwork directly contributed to the preservation of life.
Members of a Naugatuck Ambulance crew — Naugatuck Police Officer Erin Schofield, Steven Lins, EMT; Conor Leary Watson, EMT; Kyle Kelley, EMT; Boris Reichlin, Paramedic; and Steven Kirschbaum — received Unit Citations for Outstanding Action for their response to a cardiac arrest at Walmart on Oct. 31, 2025. The crew arrived within minutes, rapidly initiated resuscitative efforts, delivered defibrillation and achieved return of spontaneous circulation prior to transport. The patient ultimately survived and recovered. See a video of the team meeting patient Jorge Muniz.
The Waterbury Fire Department also received additional recognition for exceptional service and commitment to the community through its continued support of emergency medical operations and public safety initiatives.
The UConn Health Waterbury Hospital EMS Awards Banquet is held during National EMS Week, observed through May 23. The annual observance honors EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and other emergency medical personnel who provide lifesaving care to their communities.
About UConn Health Waterbury Hospital
UConn Health Waterbury Hospital is a long-standing community hospital serving Waterbury and 11 surrounding communities in Western Connecticut. As the founding member of the UConn Health Community Network, it builds on more than a century of service while connecting local care to the expertise and support of Connecticut’s only public academic medical center.
UConn Health Waterbury Hospital provides a wide range of services, including primary care, emergency and acute care, specialty services, and home-based care, and remains committed to keeping care close to home for the communities it serves.