Office of Emergency Medical Services Director Jamie Gray has earned a number of designations that follow his name, which include NRP and TP-C. These mean the Troy University graduate and State EMS Director since March 2021 is a Nationally Recognized Paramedic and an Internationally Board Certified Tactical Paramedic.
Added to his many accomplishments throughout his quarter-century career is a National EMS Award of Excellence, the 2023 EMS World/Dynarex EMS Caring Award. The award was presented by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and EMS World on September 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In nominating him for the award, supporter Doug Roberts concluded, “Mr. Gray epitomizes servant leadership and inspires others to give back and pay it forward.”
Roberts’ nomination stated the following: “Mr. Gray demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to his community. Gray is a member of the National Disaster Medical System as a deployable disaster medic and a volunteer member of a Law Enforcement Special Operations Unit Evacuation Team, and serves on the board of directors and acts as current chair of the South Region of the National Association of State EMS Officials. He is the former director of the Alabama Opioid Assistance Project and vice chair of the Alabama Mutual Aid System Advisory Council, as well as serving on the Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Council, Opioid Crisis Advisory Council, and the Data Driven Prevention Initiative Advisory Council.
"Gray began in emergency services in 1998 and in addition to medical certifications, holds certifications as a firefighter, fire service instructor, and EMS instructor as well as HAZMAT operations. He has served as a dispatcher, rode an ambulance, and taught EMS classes full time at a community college. He still teaches CPR classes for healthcare students of all disciplines and for local churches and organizations.”
In April 2023, the Alabama Rural Health Association bestowed an additional honor of Gray as recipient of the “Provider of the Year Award” for 2023. The award was presented at the association’s annual business meeting, where Gray made remarks regarding his work as an EMS professional in rural Alabama.
The EMS office is responsible for protecting health, safety, and welfare of the public by assuring that emergency medical services provided by response agencies, training entities, and technicians meet or exceed established standards. A great deal of information and data about EMS services statewide can be viewed in the 2022 EMS Annual Report.
See more stories from the November 2023 edition of Alabama's Health