# National EMS Week Spotlight: Jamie MacFarlane

/ Published May 18, 2017
Richmond, Virginia, 
National Emergency Medical Technician Week will be celebrated May 21-27.

According to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians website, in 1974 President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities. Back then, EMS was a new profession, and EMS 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 Support at Richmond is spotlighting an emergency medical technician at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, to honor his dedication in providing day-to-day lifesaving services on medicine's "front line."**

**Name:**Jamie MacFarlane

**Organization:**Defense Logistics Agency Installation Support at Richmond’s Fire and Emergency Services.

**Years of service:**Five years****(With DLA) 

**What is your job, specifically?**firefighter, hazardous material and emergency medical technician

**Why did you decide to go into a public service career?**
I decided to go into public service because I wanted to give back to the community and help people. I also served in the Marine Corps for four years and was a police officer for 10 years. 
**Please share with us a memorable event in your job.**The most memorable day was when I was notified that I was selected for promotion. After applying for the promotion numerous times and finally getting selected.  

**What makes for a great day on the job?**A great day is when the shift is finished and we are all able to go home to our families healthy and uninjured. 

**What is your favorite work activity?**
My favorite work activities are the ones that keep me proficient in my job and keep me in shape.
**What is your greatest achievement on the job?**
Getting hired at DLA’s Installation Support at Richmond’s Fire Department. Before getting hired here, I worked at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, as a police officer and wanted a job here as a firefighter. I started the training to be a firefighter in 2008. In 2012, I was hired here and plan to stay here for a long time.
**Did you have any mentors during your career? If so, how did they help you**? 
My mentors include DLA Installation Support at Richmond’s Captain Rick Ferrell, who is my supervisor along with the other leaders have pushed me to excel by giving me tasks with deadlines and making me stick to them. They also helped me by letting me know that they depended on me for many different jobs, which in turn helped them in completing their tasks. 
**What would you say to encourage someone to go into public service?**
People go into public service because they want to make a difference and enjoy helping people. If someone likes helping people in need, a job in public service might be the right job for him or her.
**Do you do any volunteer work in the community? If so, what?**
I volunteered with Chesterfield Fire Department for three years. I stopped to spend more time with my family and to go back to school. Once I finish school, I plan to either volunteer or get a part-time job in one of the local emergency facilities.
**What are you usually doing when not at work?**When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and fishing.  

**How do you define excellence?**Excellence is working together as a unit, knowing your job and what is expected of you without having to be told what to do and performing the functions of your job with proficiency. 

**How do you define happiness?**Happiness is seeing my kids excel in life and teaching them they can do anything that they put their minds to if they try hard enough.