The other day, an “06880” Roundup item noted that Westport Emergency Medical Service crew chief Jay Paretzky received the Distinguished Achievement Award, at an international conference at Mohegan Sun.
He was chosen by the Connecticut EMS Council and state Office of Emergency Medical Services.
But Jay deserves another honor. He’s served our town for nearly half a century — almost all of it quietly, efficiently, and unsung.
Jay began as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician in 1980, a few months after Westport’s EMS was founded. Over the past 45 years he has served as an EMT and crew chief, volunteering more than 30,000 hours.
Jay Paretzky
He has saved countless lives, while also contributing as a board member, CPR program coordinator, an officer and president of Westport EMS, and a member of the Connecticut EMS Advisory Board.
If you’ve been in Westport for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen him at work.
If you’ve been in Westport a while, you may well have been saved — or at least served — by him.
He doesn’t ask for thanks. He’s not a big accolades guy. (None of our EMTs and other first responders are in it for praise, either.)
But we can’t let this honor — or Jay Paretzky — go unnoticed. This week — and every one — he is our Unsung Hero.
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