SOCIAL CIRCLE - Senator John Douglas was recently honored by the Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services, a statewide association representing over 14,000 EMS professionals in Georgia.

The GAEMS Board of Directors, along with other EMS leaders, presented Senator Douglas with the GAEMS Star of Life Legislative Award at a special presentation held at the Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle. Senator Douglas was one of a select few honored for their efforts during 2007 Legislative Session.

"We are proud to have Senator John Douglas as a recipient of the GAEMS Star of Life Legislative Award," said GAEMS Chairman Courtney Terwilliger. "Senator Douglas put in the effort to learn about the EMS community and industry and is quite familiar with the challenges that our profession faces in Georgia. As a sign of appreciation, GAEMS recognized Senator Douglas and the other legislators for their understanding and appreciation for the lifesaving contributions of our EMTs and Paramedics in their local communities."

Scott Queen, a captain with Newton EMS said, "Senator Douglas was and continues to be a tremendous advocate for EMS professionals. His dedication to issues that are so vital to EMS professionals is why our group chose to honor him in the best way we knew how. In particular, Senator Douglas provided remarkable leadership when it comes to standing up for and protecting EMTs and paramedics in the state of Georgia, and we wanted to show him our appreciation for the courage he provided on this issue and many others.

"EMTs in Georgia regularly put their lives on the line everyday, and they do so out of dedication, compassion and a sincere commitment to making a difference in the communities they serve. We are sincerely grateful for Senator Douglas' support and for also showing those same qualities and attributes."

The Award is named for the EMS symbol, which is a blue, six-pointed star with the Rod of Asclepius in the center. Each of the bars of the blue Star of Life represents the six system functions of emergency medical services: detection, reporting, response, on scene care, care in transit and transfer to definitive care.

The Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services is a state-wide organization consisting of emergency medical technicians, paramedics, EMS administrators, EMS educators, EMS medical directors and other associates from across the state that are passionate about delivering quality emergency medical services.