He was honored for his off-duty response during a drowning accident when he performed mouth-to-mouth and used a valve bag mask to help a girl breathe until paramedics arrived.

PINELLAS COUNTY – Sunstar Paramedics employee Joshua Hoover received the 2019 Commissioner Morroni Award of Excellence in EMS at the 24th annual Appreciation Luncheon for Emergency Personnel.

The award is presented annually to EMS professionals who display exceptional dedication above and beyond the call of duty.

Hoover, a safety and risk coordinator for Sunstar Paramedics, was recognized for his quick off-duty response during a drowning accident. Hoover was celebrating a family member’s birthday at the beach when he noticed a lifeguard pulling a young girl from the water at a water park in Indian Rocks Beach. He helped the lifeguard by performing mouth-to-mouth and using a valve bag mask to help the girl breathe until the paramedics arrived.

The paramedics arrived and provided oxygen to the girl, and Hoover continued to provide ventilation to control the child’s breathing until she could breathe on her own. Hoover also helped the first responders with their equipment as they left to take the child to the hospital.

“Joshua responded to an emergency during his personal time, which helped to save this young girl’s life,” said Sunstar Paramedics chief operating officer John Peterson. “His dedication to patient care and his commitment to helping people remains strong, even when he’s off duty.”

Hoover has worked for Sunstar Paramedics since 2010. He first worked as a paramedic and in several key roles at Sunstar Paramedics before being promoted to safety and risk coordinator. He has also been awarded the EMS Injury Prevention Award by the Florida Department of Health, and Paramedic of the Year Award by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners.

Sunstar Paramedics is the ambulance service owned by Pinellas County.

Photo courtesy of Sunstar Paramedics.

Sunstar Paramedics | Joshua Hoover | EMS | Tampabay News

#SunstarParamedics #JoshuaHoover #EMS #TampabayNews