COLUMBUS (5-23-25) —Spirit EMS, headquartered in Greenville, was honored as Ohio’s EMS Agency of the Year at a ceremony in Columbus on Wednesday.
In 2024, numerous Ohio Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers were recognized at an annual ceremony for their courage and dedication in facing difficult, life-threatening circumstances.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety Division of EMS, the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services, and the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians host the Star of Life Awards event, which honors first responders across Ohio.
EMS holds the Star of Life Awards ceremony each May during EMS Week, which this year (May 18-24) features the theme “We Care. For Everyone.”
EMS Executive Director Robert Wagoner
“As each honoree’s story was shared this afternoon, there was no doubt that each of them truly cared for everyone for whom they were called: teaching students for decades, an emergency physician mentoring EMS providers, an EMS agency whose corporate culture of caring reaches deep into the communities it serves; and EMS providers who, against all odds, had to quickly adapt their training and skills to overcome highly challenging circumstances and dangerous environments to provide the best care possible to total strangers at their greatest time of need.”
Spirit EMS received the award for its enormous support of its employees and the communities it serves.
Spirit EMS President/CEO Brian K. Hathaway
“Until we arrived in Columbus on Wednesday, we were unsure why we were receiving the Ohio Agency of the Year award, but it was unveiled at the presentation.”
During Wednesday’s ceremonies, the Ohio Department of Public Safety shared the story of why Spirit EMS was chosen as the Ohio EMS Agency of the Year. Incepted in February 2007, Spirit EMS began with eight employees. Today, the company has 150 professionals in full—and part-time roles. The video accompanying the award stated that Spirit stands out through its innovative approach and support for employees and the community.
They have developed strong partnerships with regional healthcare institutions, but their reach extends beyond the healthcare industry. In 2024, Spirit EMS partnered with the Darke County Chamber of Commerce to purchase and distribute 500 first aid kits to farmers across Darke, Miami, and Shelby counties—the initiative aimed to promote farm safety during the harvest season.
The company has also maintained a strong partnership with the Wayne HealthCare Foundation as they collaborated with Midmark to place over 100 AEDs in non-profit and government agencies across the county. In addition to providing the AEDs, Spirit EMS follows up with the organizations that receive the devices and offers complimentary first aid, CPR, and AED training to those organizations.
At Christmas, the company distributed over 200 stuffed animals to nursing homes, hospitals, and shut-ins. They also actively support food pantries through canned food drives. The company supports and promotes cancer awareness through T-shirt drives.
Not only does Spirit EMS support the communities it serves, but its care and compassion reach across the nation. In the fall of 2024, Spirit EMS deployed equipment and personnel to the storm-ravaged south.
Seven ambulances were deployed to Florida and the Carolinas following Hurricane Helene in September. A month later, Hurricane Milton made landfall along the Florida coast, and Spirit sent 18 ambulances, a wheelchair van, and 39 employees. It was the largest deployment in the company’s history.
Spirit EMS’s innovative business model has allowed it to train many new EMTs and paramedics through its “earn while you learn” program, which offers multiple rounds of training each year. Since 2017, Spirit EMS has invested nearly $1 million in local education through its scholarship fund to develop new EMTs and paramedics.
The company recently partnered with Miami University to provide EMT classes for nursing, bioengineering, and pre-med students. The program encourages aspiring students to serve their local communities in Ohio.
Through the company’s efforts, Spirit EMS is endeavoring to live up to its motto of “Our Family Taking Care of Your Family.”
Spirit EMS was the first private EMS agency in the state to be awarded the honor in its 24-year history. During an acceptance speech on Wednesday, Hathaway told a crowd of 250 attendees that Spirit’s devotion to the communities it serves will live on well past the award.
Hathaway said-
“The public places profound trust in EMS and turns to us for answers. Often, EMS—especially private EMS—can feel like an underappreciated and misunderstood underdog. While some may choose to ignore the needs others face, Spirit EMS dares to be different. Each day at work highlights every team member’s vital role in our success, helping both themselves and others. Moving forward, Spirit EMS is dedicated to delivering excellence in emergency medical services and supporting our communities. We will strive to find innovative ways to enhance services and prepare for challenges as we aim to inspire future generations to truly make a difference by answering the call to serve.”
Others honored during the ceremony included:
EMS Medical Director of the Year: Dr. Frank Orth (posthumous), Medical Director of Westerville Division of Fire and Monroe Township Fire Department
EMS Provider of the Year: Brian Fraley, Fire Chief of Clinton Township Division of Fire
Frank Giampetro Distinguished EMS Educator Award: Karen Shelby, RN, EMS Instructor, and EMS Coordinator at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital
Jack B. Liberator Lifetime Achievement Award: Claude “Doug” Bentley, President of the Board of Trustees for the Ripley Life Squad Inc.
Ohio EMS Stars
Akron Fire Department; Arrowhead Joint Fire District; BMRT Ambulance District; Bowerston Volunteer Fire Department; Columbus Division of Fire; Hamilton Township Fire Department; Hopedale Fire Department (2) ; Kirtland Fire Department; Independence Fire Department and Stow Fire Department.
Mercer County Outlook 