Longtime Southeast Ohio EMS District training officer Mary Jon Holtzapfel of Ironton was honored for her 26 years of service Thursday during a meeting of the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners.

Monday, February 04, 2002

Longtime Southeast Ohio EMS District training officer Mary Jon Holtzapfel of Ironton was honored for her 26 years of service Thursday during a meeting of the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners.

Holtzapfel was presented a plaque in recognition of her services by Keith Molohan, a SEOEMS board member from the Lawrence County. Commission president Jason Stephens presented Holtzapfel with a certificate of appreciation from the Lawrence County Commission.

As a registered nurse, Holtzapfel was hired by SEOEMS in 1975 to initiate paramedic training in the SEOEMS system. At that time, all technicians were basic emergency medical technicians. Within a year, all SEOEMS stations were staffed with trained paramedics.

She worked to develop SEOEMS into the first paramedic training institution recognized by the state.

In addition to training new paramedics, the SEOEMS training program provides continuing education to SEOEMS EMT’s and paramedics. This continuing education ensures that SEOEMS personnel are constantly being updated in the latest advances in pre-hospital emergency medicine, enabling them to deliver the most advanced care possible to the citizens of Lawrence County and the other counties served by the system.

Over the years, Holtzapfel has served on numerous state committees that have developed EMS training curricula, policies, procedures and proposed legislation.

Holtzapfel left SEOEMS in October. At a special SEOEMS board of director’s meeting in January, the board voted to honor Holtzapfel for her service and directed the plaque to be presented to her in home county.