Tanya Havilk-Smith
For the IEMSA Individual Volunteer Award I would like to
nominate Tanya Havlik-Smith from the West Branch Fire
Department. Tanya serves the City of West Branch as the city’s
First Responder as an Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter,
and co-medical officer for the department. Tanya has volunteered
for the West Branch Fire Department for 16 years.
Prior to moving to Iowa I have never worked with volunteers
from either the Fire or EMS service. To volunteer, not get
compensated for, leave your current place of employment or leave
your family at home day or night to respond to a call and aid
someone in their community is selfless and plays a key role in
the State of Iowa’s EMS System. Without folks like her many
patients would not have access to some form of medical care.
I noticed Tanya being the one to consistently provide our
incoming paramedic crews with an accurate patient care report
and always asks or seeks a way to assist our paramedic crews
with patient care. As Sandy Heick, who also serves with Tanya
puts it, “Tanya goes above and beyond on calls and truly cares
about the patients and helping the EMS crews.”
