MOON TWP. - In his more than 30 years with the Valley Ambulance Authority in Moon Township, James Withee of Crescent Township has been a dispatcher, an emergency medical technician, a paramedic and an authority administrator, but he always has been a role model, colleagues said Monday.
Withee, 61, who has been with the authority since a year after its 1972 inception, has announced he will be retiring on May 31, ending one of the longest tenures on the oldest municipal ambulance authority in the nation.
"I'm proud to have been in a position to help so many people over the years," Withee said.
Authority members plan to honor Withee on several occasions this week, including at a testimonial dinner.
Linda Kelley, community relations coordinator for the authority, said Valley Ambulance owes a lot to Withee, who she said has helped guide the authority's commitment to providing high-quality service to the community.
Mary Caroline "M.C." Nash, a part-time volunteer paramedic for the authority and pre-hospital coordinator for Sewickley Valley Hospital, said the authority will be hard pressed to make up for the loss of Withee's talent, resources and experience. Kelley said officials still have not determined how they will replace Withee as assistant director of the authority.
As assistant director, Withee's job is to oversee operations, personnel and upgrading of equipment. He has five supervisors who report to him.
Withee said he first became interested in medical services after watching an EMT help a motorcycle accident victim and realizing he could make a difference in a new field. While working at the Fisher Control plant in Coraopolis, Withee volunteered his services to the authority for nearly 10 years before becoming a paid administrator.
He has many horrific and beautiful remembrances of what he saw over the years responding to emergency calls, but Withee takes pride in his chance to help with five births.
"You have to love what you're doing," he said. "You don't stay with something so long if you don't love it."
Withee, who also has been a Crescent commissioner for 12 years, said he has no specific plans for his retirement beyond relaxing.
But Kelley said she expects he will be fielding calls for help from his former colleagues for quite some time.
Withee's announcement comes during National Emergency Medical Services Week, which honors the nation's approximately 750,000 EMS providers.
As part of the event, Valley Ambulance plans to offer blood-pressure screenings and injury prevention seminars in the area, including a forum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Giant Eagle grocery in Leetsdale.
The authority also will hold events from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Findlay Township Community Center and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Moon Giant Eagle.
