PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR

Vinny Tomaselli – 2023 Paramedic of the Year

FF/PM Tomaselli is never short on words or topics to talk about. Vinny is a master carpenter, he a perfectionist at everything whether it is building, making widgets in his home shop, coaching in the gym, teaching the Firefighter 1 class, or mentoring his fellow shift mates. FF/PM Tomaselli has recently completed his MICRB training to be able to teach for the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, he has been doing his interim teaching helping out with the Worcester County Technical High School Firefighter 1 program. Vinny is an exceptional instructor bringing real world experience and the connection with the students in a way that they understand. Vinny not only teaches fire curriculum, he also teaches TCCC for the Fire Department. When we hired this last group of full-time personnel, we had some very young hires. This group of hires being fresh out of school sometimes lack the comfort of communicating with others. The skill of talking and making someone feel comfortable is often times more than half the battle when caring for them. Vinny was assigned a new hire as her FTO. The expectations were set that they were going to take all the calls together, they were going to work on skills of life, fire/EMS, and college curriculum of paramedic for Jess and Vinny’s Master’s. Every day those two worked on just that. There was never a time when those two were working together that I could walk into the fire station and they were not working on some kind of Fire or EMS procedure, a skill to practice, or studying. Vinny has done an exceptional job with making a shy young new hire into a go get em’ clinician. Vinny takes the time to show anyone that want to see a skill or try a new technique in forcible entry, or masking up with gloves on in the station. Vinny is a leader when it comes to getting things done, he is a very experienced clinician and firefighter. He is on the confined space team for the department, he is always assisting with instruction whether it be fire, rescue, ropes, or EMS. FF/PM Tomaselli asks after every call “what could I have done better”, he wants to be the best he can be at everything. FF/PM Tomaselli will handle any EMS call that comes at him. Vinny is a true patient care advocate that will always do what is best for them. Vinny is currently juggling a work schedule, teaching, coaching, and completing his Master’s Degree all while being a husband, tinkering in his shop, and taking care of his dogs.