Riverside paramedic Jimi Estrada-Velazquez stands beside an AMR ambulance at a local station. The five-year veteran will receive the national Stars of Life award for his role in saving a 2-year-old from drowning last summer. (Courtesy of Global Medical Response)
On National First Responders Day, a Riverside paramedic is being recognized for his role in saving a 2-year-old who nearly drowned last summer.
Jimi Estrada-Velazquez, a five-year veteran with American Medical Response, the exclusive emergency ambulance provider for Riverside County, responded to a 911 call and arrived at the scene within two minutes, according to the company. He and his partner began rescue breathing on the child with assistance from law enforcement, then transported the patient to a hospital. The child made a full recovery.
Estrada-Velazquez is one of 147 emergency medical services professionals nationwide selected to receive the Stars of Life award from the American Ambulance Association, a prestigious national recognition for EMS workers.
"It's incredibly humbling to be recognized with the Stars of Life award," Estrada-Velazquez said in a statement. "I'm grateful I was in the right place at the right time to help that child, and proud to be part of a team that worked together to make it happen."
Recipients will be honored Nov. 3-5 in Washington, D.C., where they will meet with members of Congress to advocate for emergency medical services funding and policy.
National First Responders Day, observed annually on Oct. 28, recognizes EMTs, paramedics, 911 operators, firefighters and police officers. The day was officially established through a 2019 Congressional resolution.
