EMServ Ambulance, South Central Regional Medical Center Emergency Medical Services,  Honored by Department of Defense for Extraordinary Support of Employees who Serve in the Mississippi  National Guard and Reserve

(Laurel, MS) – The Mississippi Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced today that Mr. Steve Earnest, Director of Emergency Services, and Mrs. Wyth Collins, Operations Manager, were honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of their employee, who serves in the Mississippi Air National Guard.

According to Donna C. Ainsworth, Mississippi ESGR Area 6 representative, “The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve.  Mr. Earnest and Mrs. Collins were nominated for being highly supportive of the National Guard and Reserve by Master Sergeant, Paul Thomas, their Reserve component employee.  Supportive supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units.”

Both Earnest and Collins stated “We hoped you had Paul waiting outside to surprise us.”  Master Sergeant Thomas has been employed with EMServ since July 2004. During this time he has been deployed at least four times, but we support him 100%.”

EMServ, based in Laurel, Mississippi, is a division of South Central Regional Medical Center. EMServ has provided emergency and non-emergency service in Jones County since 1974.  EMServ also provides important training to the community such as CPR, AED training, first aid and more.

As the 1.3 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions with America’s borders and beyond, ESGR will continue to be the resource for the employers of citizen warriors. ESGR provides education, consultation, and if necessary mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.  More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling Mississippi contact Jackie Sharp, Program Support Technician at 601-313-6508.

Left to right: Steve Earnest, Director of EMServ, Donna Ainsworth, ESGR Representative, and Wyth Collins, Operations Manager, EMServ.