El Paso County Public Health Champion strives to serve others
El Paso County Public Health Champion strives to serve others
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) A Southern Colorado non-profit is receiving special recognition for providing volunteers to fight on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency Incident Support Group provides critical support to first responders across the county. For the past three months, the non-profit helped vaccination clinics across El Paso County, providing them with meals and any support they might have needed.
Mary Williamson is one of three 2021 El Paso County Public Health Champions. She s part of the 27 Emergency Incident Support volunteers who ran 20 mission days supporting El Paso County Public Health vaccination clinics. This was on top of running all 20 days with the Emergency Incident Support group. Williamson was also giving vaccinations on the days between.
Firefighters, paramedics and police respond to emergency calls on fires, search and rescues and shootings. But when first responders needs help, it’s Emergency Incident Support that arrives.
The nonprofit organization in El Paso County provides food, water and shelter for first responders. Whatever the emergency, volunteers are with firefighters, police and paramedics, anticipating their needs.
“Most of the time, those folks are out there in an environment where they don t have any other support, especially in wildland fires, or residential fires, or whatever the situation, and they re out there for extended periods of time,” Emergency Incident Support President Roger Lance said. “So we provide hot meals, snacks, hydration, anything that they need, or would likely find a place where they can sit down and take a break.”