July 8, 2008
To the Editor,
On Tuesday, June 17th, our department suffered the most devastating loss in its history, as our beloved friend and fellow paramedic Stephanie Callaway was taken from us while doing the job she loved. At the same time, the family of Betty J. Hall, the patient who also perished in the crash, mourns the loss of their loved one, and the members of Sussex County EMS share their grief as well. From the newest member of the service to our most seasoned veteran, this has been one of the worst moments in our lives.
The outpouring of help and support from both our fellow emergency services providers and from the public was instant and overwhelming. Those who saw or participated in the viewing and memorial service will never forget the seemingly endless line of paramedics, EMT's, firefighters, State and local police and emergency vehicles that stretched through Georgetown on its way from the Delmarva Christian High School to Delaware Technical and Community College. Departments from as far away as Massachusetts and North Carolina were represented, while behind the scenes, the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Mobile Command Unit, Fire Police, DelDot, Delaware State Police and the Georgetown Police Department worked together to ensure that everything went smoothly. Private organizations and fire companies donated the use of busses and vans to transport the hundreds of people who came to pay their respects, and others provided food and drinks for the participants. Our sister paramedic services in Kent and New Castle counties not only participated in the memorial, but provided paramedic teams for anyone experiencing medical problems during the services and staffing for our on-duty paramedic vehicles so that our members could attend the services.
It would be nearly impossible for me to name each organization or person who has come forward to help Stephanie's family and her "other" family at Sussex County EMS through this terrible time. At the same time, we want to make sure that the community knows how much we appreciate the outpouring of help, support and sympathy that we have received. The paramedics and support staff of Sussex County EMS will forever remember not only our fallen comrade, but the wonderful show of love and support that we and her family have received from the community she served so proudly.
With our deepest thanks,
Glenn H. Luedtke, Director