Rick G. Hartley 2016 Honoree

Rick G. Hartley
Rick G. Hartley

Southeast Colorado Hospital Ambulance Service
Springfield, Colorado

Rick G. Hartley, 63, of the Southeast Colorado Hospital Ambulance Service died November 6, 2015. Rick was a Paramedic, EMS Director, husband, and father of three. Rick’s dedication and passion for helping his community started many years ago. He began volunteering as an EMT in the 1980’s and became the EMS Director for the ambulance service in 1992. He quickly recognized the need to further his training and became the agency’s first Paramedic.

In the early 1990’s he founded the Springfield EMS Association and wrote grants for state-of-the-art equipment. Rick served on numerous councils and was an instructor in many disciplines. He has trained thousands of students, all while maintaining his own certifications and taking care of patients.

Rick was killed while transporting a patient when the unit overturned, November 6, 2015. He was known to have “left people with the knowledge that someone was fighting for them and that somehow everything would be okay.”

Honored 2016