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# National EMS Week Spotlight: Chris Abraham

By  DLA Aviation Public Affairs Office

                Richmond, Va.  –              
National Emergency Medical Technician Week will be celebrated May 16 – 22. This year’s theme is “This Is EMS: Caring for Our Communities.” According to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians website, in 1974 President Gerald Ford authorized Emergency Medical Services Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities. Back then, EMS was a new profession and practitioners had only just started to be recognized as a critical component of emergency medicine and the public health safety net. EMS is now firmly established as an essential public function and a vital component of the medical care continuum.EMS practitioners care for their patients' medical needs and show caring and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments. As part of National EMS Week, Defense Logistics Agency Aviation and DLA Installation Management Richmond are spotlighting an emergency medical technician at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, to honor their dedication in providing day-to-day lifesaving services on medicine's "front line.”

**Name: **Chris Abraham    

**Organization:** DLA Installation Operations Security and Emergency Services Division, Fire and Emergency Services Branch 

**Years of service:** 14 years with DLA

**What is your job, specifically?** Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, Hazmat Technician**Why did you decide to go into a public service career?**I wanted to be able to help my family and others during times of need.**Please share with us a memorable event in your job. **We had a call shortly after I was cleared as a medic for a lady behaving strangely.  It turned out that she was having a stroke and we transported her to the hospital. She was able to go home that same day after receiving clot busting drugs.**What makes for a great day on the job?**Knowing that I didn’t have to put out a fire or take someone to the hospital.  If we must do either, it means someone has lost something that may not be able to be replaced or their life was in danger for some reason.**What is your favorite work activity?**Teaching**What is your greatest achievement on the job**? Knowing that I have helped others in achieving their goals.**What would you say to encourage someone to go into public service?**Take a chance and do a ride-along at your local fire or EMS station and see if it is for you.  There is always a need for additional personnel and you might find out that you really enjoy helping others.**Do you do any volunteer work in the community? If so, what?** No, I used to volunteer at both my local rescue squad and fire department.**What are you usually doing when not at work?**Taking classes or learning about investing.**How do you define excellence? **Excellence is when you are so good at something that other people come to you for your assistance because they have faith in your knowledge.**How do you define happiness? **Truly loving whatever you do and that being enough to satisfy you.

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DLA AviationDSCRDefense Logistics Agency AviationDefense Supply Center RichmondNational EMS WeekDLA Installation Management RichmondNAEMTChris AbrahamCaring for Our CommunitiesPeople and Culture