Paramedic awarded for 41 years of service
KARNS CITY — With 41 years of experience in emergency services, Nancy Brice clearly is dedicated to the field.
So dedicated is she, that she left her own award ceremony celebration early to answer a call.
On Monday, Brice received awards of recognition from the state Senate and House and Butler County for her work with various emergency services departments.
Friends, family, co-workers and leaders in emergency services gathered at the Karns City borough building to celebrate Brice and her continued success in the EMS field.
According to Brice, who turns 80 in March, her career as an EMT began in 1981, and she almost immediately pursued being a paramedic.
“I was a single mother of four, and I wanted something for me,” she said. “The local fire hall offered a CPR class, and the person who taught it thought I should take the EMT class, too.”
When she was certified as a paramedic, Brice served eight years with Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department before deciding to work full time with the Butler County Paramedic Services/Medic Rescue in 1989.
Brice currently serves full time as a paramedic and board member with Karns City Regional Ambulance and as a paramedic with Clarion Hospital EMS. According to her fellow EMS workers, she has no plans to retire.
Kandi Nassy, board member with the Karns City Regional Ambulance, said Brice was instrumental in creating their service after Petrolia shut down.
“She got me to be a board member,” Nassy said. “She always goes out of her way to get people to help.”
According to Mark Lauer, president of Karns City Regional Ambulance, Brice helped him in establishing the LifeFlight services in Butler County, as well as training him, 911 dispatch director Steve Bicehouse, and other EMS service workers.
“I’ve worked with (Brice) on and off for 30 years,” he said. “She’s an awesome paramedic. She issued me my first first-aid card and CPR card.”
Rob McLafferty, 911 coordinator, presented Brice with an award from the Butler County commissioners during her celebration. He said she is always calm, cool and collected in person and in her work.
“She’s smiling and wonderful every time you see her,” he said. “There’s a quote that says something like, ‘If one person breathes easier because of you, that’s success.’ People breathe easier because of (Brice), whether she’s giving them oxygen or medication or her being there to say, ‘It’s going to be okay.’”
State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th, and state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, presented certificates to Brice for her work.
Nassy said she was happy to see Brice receive recognition.
“I felt she needed to be recognized for a long time. I’m glad it finally happened,” she said.
In all of her years of experience, Brice said she’s seen a major shift in the amount of personnel working in the EMS field.
“My paramedics class had 28 people. Now if you can get 12 people for a class, you’re lucky to get three or four people who can function,” she said.
She also offered encouragement for people pursuing a career in emergency services.
“It’s the most amazing thing you’re ever going to do,” she said. “You may not get much in monetary satisfaction, but what you get in personal satisfaction is better.”
Brice said she feels everyone in the EMS field should get praise for their hard work.
“I don’t think I deserve this. There’s so many people who do way more than me, I’m sure of that,” she said.
