Honorees

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Year Honored
2005
Honoree
Nicole D Kielar
Agency
LifeEvac of Virginia
Agency City
Richmond
Agency State
VA
Last Call
1/10/05
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
Nikki will always be remembered as a bright, energetic woman who wanted to become a doctor. "She brought life to everyone she met," stated Jack Selby, the airport's customer service manager. "She lit up a room when she entered, and her instant smile brought comfort; she was sharp, and would have been one of the really good doctors," stated a friend. She loved to work with people in the medical profession and was a born helper of mankind.<br /> <br /> Nicole Dawn Kielar, 29, lost her life in the line of duty on January 10, 2005. She was part of a flight rescue team that had transported a patient to the Washington Hospital Center. They were on the return trip to home base at Stafford Regional Airport when the helicopter crashed into the freezing waters of the Potomac River.<br /> <br /> Nikki was one of two Regional Educators for LifeNet in the Northeast United States. She was a volunteer for the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad. Nikki started in rescue when she was a student attending the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. While serving with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Squad, she became a member of several specialty teams, including the Technical Rescue Team and the EMS Bike Team. Paramedic Kielar also served as a duty shift supervisor and as Assistant Chief. After graduating from UVA, she served as a communications officer with the UVA Media, working to help coordinate regional EMS resources and dispatching the medical helicopter "Pegasus." She began serving with VCU LifeEvac in 2003 as a flight paramedic while working on her Physiology Degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She transferred to Stafford base of MHS LifeEvac II in July 2004.<br /> <br /> One can only state that this young flight paramedic had reached the esteemed position in the field of Emergency Medical Services at an age that few attempt. She will be placed in a light that will beam bright for all who knew her, read or hear about her, and try to follow in her path.<br /> <br /> Honored 2005