August 30, 2018 — The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) SOBER Unit has been named the winner of Firehouse’s Thomas Carr Community Service Award. Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach and Anne Carr, the widow of Tom Carr, after whom the award is named, will present the award to Dr. Marc Eckstein, LAFD’s EMS Commander, during the Oct. 18 opening ceremonies of Firehouse Expo in Nashville, TN.
The LAFD SOBER Unit, under the direction of Eckstein, is recognized for its innovative approach to managing serial inebriates, who account for a disproportionately high use of emergency resources via the 9-1-1 system. With early intervention and alternative transport to a Sobering Center instead of an emergency department, these patients can get the help they need while increasing the availability of LAFD emergency resources.
The SOBER Unit is a public-private partnership in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Exodus Recovery, Inc. The unit is staffed by a firefighter/paramedic, a nurse practitioner and a case manager. The nurse practitioner, in conjunction with the firefighter/paramedic, performs medical clearance of these patients and then determines if they can safely transport the patient directly to the Sobering Center instead of an emergency department.
Patients requesting LAFD assistance who meet the criteria for transport to the Sobering Center are transported there directly by the SOBER Unit, avoiding having to go to the hospital where ambulances have long wait times. These patients will get the specific care and social services they need, while freeing up LAFD paramedic resources due to not having to transport and wait long periods of time for an available bed at a hospital.
Sendelbach lauded Eckstein’s efforts to help execute such an innovative program: “The Los Angeles Fire Department’s implementation of the SOBER Unit exemplifies the leadership and innovation required to successfully overcome the challenges of today’s fire and emergency services. The SOBER Unit program not only provides a more effective and efficient service to a unique customer base, it also increases the availability and response capabilities of the LAFD, enabling its members to better serve their citizens as a whole. This program defines community service in the modern age.”
The LAFD SOBER Unit and Eckstein will receive a cash award for the honor as well as a bell provided by Liberty Artworks, and will be featured in the October issue of Firehouse Magazine.
The other top Community Service honorees are as follows:
- Second place: Valere Liljefelt – Deputy Fire Marshal/Lieutenant, Clackamas, OR, Fire District #1/Apartment Inspection Program
- Third place (tie): Tameji R. Berry – Assistant Chief, Dallas Fire-Rescue Department/Camp L.A.D.D.E.R.; Darlene Braun – Firefighter, Norfolk, VA, Fire-Rescue/Camp Fury Norfolk
Seven others are recognized as honorable mentions in this category.
Starting in 2017, the Community Service Award is named after Thomas Carr, the late fire chief who once held the top position at the Charleston, SC, and Montgomery County, MD, fire departments. The Firehouse Thomas Carr Community Service Award is designed to encourage fire departments to not only get involved in community service activities, but to engage in activities that truly give back and elevate a community in a way that can change lives.
To read more about the honorees in this year’s Valor & Community Service Awards, visit firehouse.com/valor-awards.
Firehouse would also like to thank the 2017 Valor Awards Program corporate sponsors: 5.11 Tactical, Alert-All, Blackinton, Columbia Southern University, eDispatches.com, Fire Station Outfitters, Fol-Da-Tank, First-In by Westnet, Liberty Art Works, Marion Body Works, the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Pierce Manufacturing, RollNRack, Waterous Company, Waterway Cooperative and W.S. Darley & Company. Their support and generosity help us honor America’s Bravest.
About the Firehouse Valor & Community Service Awards
The Firehouse Valor & Community Service Awards is the largest awards program of its kind in the fire service. Nominations for the awards open each year in January, with submissions due in April. To have your department’s acts of valor or community service considered for an award, please e-mail [email protected].
About Firehouse
Firehouse is the leading fire and emergency services brand, reaching more than 1 million unique visitors and subscribers monthly, and thousands of attendees annually, via its live events and media portfolio. The Firehouse brand encompasses Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse.com, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Firehouse Station Design Conference and Awards, and a host of print and digital products targeting fire and emergency services personnel. Utilizing its multiple platforms and unparalleled reach, Firehouse sets itself apart from the competition by fostering a culture that encourages innovation and the use of the latest digital and database technologies to best serve its audience and companies serving the marketplace.
