Bridgeville man, one of area's earliest paramedics, honored for service
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Since Lt. Ray Cook of Bridgeville began as a paramedic 35 years ago, equipment and training in the field have improved greatly.
Recognition of the profession also has increased.
"When I started, no one expected it to be a job but a hobby. If this is a hobby, I'm still looking for my real job," he said.
Last month, Mr. Cook, 66, was honored at a meeting of the Medical Rescue Team South Authority board of directors for his tenure with the service since its founding in 1977, making him one of the area's first paramedics.
The board presented him with a digital picture frame with job-related photographs of himself and team members.
From his colleagues, he received a marble plaque featuring four patches and a badge representing his various career roles.
Mr. Cook grew up in St. Paul, Minn., without any inkling of a future medical career.
At Crown College near Minneapolis he trained in the Christian ministry. After graduation, he and his wife, Rose, moved to Bridgeville for his internship at the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
About the same time, the nearby Fryer Funeral Home was beginning the South Hills Ambulance Service, for which he volunteered, inspired in part by "Emergency," the first television series to highlight the work of paramedics in the fledgling emergency medical services paramedic program.
"The show had an orange box for radio communications to the hospital just like the funeral home had," he said.
With training, he became an emergency medical technician in 1973, and then a paramedic in 1976 for the Mt. Lebanon Police Paramedics.
"We were all awestruck because we were with the police department," he said.
To justify their pay, the paramedics helped answer phone calls in the dispatch center as police departments received most of the calls for help prior to the 911 system, he said.
A year later, the Medical Rescue Team South was formed from the two services as a multi-community emergency medical service. It now serves Mt. Lebanon, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree, Baldwin Township and Whitehall.
Today, Mr. Cook, whose office is in the authority's administrative offices at 315 Cypress Way in Mt. Lebanon, is a shift supervisor. He participates in continuing education and responds to calls in his Quick Response Vehicle if other vehicles are out or a crew needs help.
Away from the job, he is involved in the South Hills Bible Chapel in McMurray.
Reflecting on the changes in emergency medical services over the years, Mr. Cook said while there are probably more state regulations today, there is a greater freedom for what paramedics can do in the field.
That is far different from the early days when he had to telephone the medical command at the receiving hospital for permission to administer intravenous therapy or perform any other procedure.
"It shows how with respect and training we became a bona fide profession," he said.
First Published November 10, 2011 5:01 am
