Jerry Overton was presented with the 2016 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a lifetime of commitment, contributions and leadership to Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The award is NAEMT’s most prestigious and generously sponsored by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). The presentation was made during NAEMT’s annual General Membership Meeting in New Orleans on Oct. 4.

NREMT Executive Director and CEO, Severo “Tré” Rodriguez commented, “Jerry Overton’s career exemplifies a commitment to our nation and public protection through service to the EMS community. Over his career, which is still very active, Mr. Overton has influenced the improvement of patient care for the individual, systems of care, and safety of EMS professionals. We thank Jerry for his dedication and service.”

Jerry Overton is Chair of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), the organization charged with setting standards, establishing curriculum, and conducting research for public safety dispatch worldwide. He once said, “If you ever hear me talk about EMS system design, you know my beliefs regarding where it all begins. That's dispatch. When it goes right, we're going to save a life. When it doesn't, there's going to be a problem.”

Previously, Overton served as chief financial officer for the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, an organization dedicated to the global improvement of prehospital and emergency healthcare, public health, and disaster health and preparedness. He has provided expert technical assistance in countries across the globe, including the design for an Emergency Medical Transport program in Central Bosnia and an EMS assessment for the country of Lebanon.

Overton is a past President of the American Ambulance Association and was a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the U.S. Health System. His career also includes work at Road Safety International, Inc., Surrey Ambulance Service, and the American International Health Alliance. He serves on the editorial boards of leading prehospital care journals, has received numerous recognitions, and was named one of the 20 most influential leaders in EMS by JEMS magazine.

“Jerry has dedicated his professional life to improving EMS systems, from dispatch to the delivery of patient care,” said NAEMT President Conrad “Chuck” Kearns. “He is an admired leader and EMS ambassador around the world, and an outstanding role model for all EMS professionals. It is an honor and privilege to present the Rocco Morando award to one so worthy of receiving it.”

Overton has also served as CEO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority in Virginia, and as the Executive Director/CEO of Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust (MAST) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Matt Zavadsky, NAEMT At-Large Board member and longtime colleague said, “Jerry is a true pioneer in EMS. Each organization he was with ended up blazing new trails for the EMS industry. Jerry is also a consummate researcher, and involved as a principle investigator in numerous clinical and operational studies. It is impossible to overstate the impact that Jerry has had on the EMS industry, and on the patients who are alive today because of the influence Jerry has had on EMS system design, dispatch protocols and clinical research.”