Dakota County is celebrating the lifesaving efforts of first responders and citizens during emergencies as part of National EMS Week May 21-27. In honor of National EMS Week, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners and the EMS Council are recognizing the 2017 EMS Award winners as well as all EMS providers and first responders who work every day to make Dakota County a safe place to live. Six people received an EMS Award for their quick actions and bravery that helped save lives. Kenneth Nelson, a USPS worker, found an elderly woman who had fallen on her back deck and was unable to move for several hours. He called 911 and stayed with her until help arrived. Tracy Cassano, a teacher at Rosemount High School, provided lifesaving CPR for her coworker who collapsed at school. Burnsville Fire Fighters and Paramedics Michael Andrews, Thomas Hale and Scott Hanlon helped rescue and resuscitate a woman after her car crashed and was submerged in a pond. They swiftly found the car and performed a successful underwater rescue. Burnsville Police Officer Erin Holznagel provided lifesaving measures to a stab victim who had lost around 70 percent of his blood. The Dakota County EMS Council is a long and valued partnership made up of Dakota County Public Health, area hospitals, the Dakota Communications Center, and the county?s eight EMS providers. The Council had several notable achievements in 2016. These include completing highly infectious disease training, participating in a multidisciplinary, county-wide emergency preparedness exercise, and focusing on mental health through Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings. Photo provided by Dakota County
