The Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award is NAEMT’s most prestigious recognition of an individual’s contribution to prehospital emergency medical care and the EMS profession. The award is granted to select individuals who, through their actions, leadership, and spirit, have demonstrated a lifetime commitment and dedication to the advancement of EMS.  The National Registry of EMTs is the generous sponsor of this award. View Press Release

The following are remarks by NAEMT President Bruce Evans during the presentation at NAEMT’s annual General Membership Meeting on October 5 in Atlanta, Georgia.

On behalf of NAEMT and the National Registry, it is our honor to recognize Dr. Manifold posthumously with this most prestigious award. Dr. Craig Manifold, who passed away suddenly in September 2020, was a devoted family man, an invaluable member of the EMS community and was an especially cherished member of both the National Registry and NAEMT.

Dr. Manifold served on the NREMT Board of Directors from 2014 until his passing and was the Past Chair of the National Registry’s Research Committee and its International Committee. He served as NAEMT’s Medical Director on the NAEMT Board, as the chair of the NAEMT Military Relations Committee, Editor of the AMLS 3^rd edition textbook, as an advisor on many EMS issues, and as a mentor and dear friend. Dr. Manifold also served in leadership positions at the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Associations of EMS Physicians, the Special Operations Medical Association, and the Metropolitan EMS Medical Directors (“Eagles”) Global Alliance.

Dr. Manifold served the EMS community in many roles – as the medical director for several EMS agencies in the San Antonio area and an assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He served on the South Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), American College of Emergency Physicians, and Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Committees as well as other boards in Texas and nationwide. Having earned the rank Brigadier General (Retired), Dr Manifold also served as Joint Surgeon for the Texas Air National Guard, and Commander for the 149th Medical Group of the Texas Air National Guard in San Antonio. Those who knew him described him as both a scholar and gentleman.

Not only was he highly respected as a physician and military commander, he completely understood the ‘street medicine’ aspect of EMS and always had the best interest of patients, EMTs and Paramedics as a priority. He lived a life of service and was profoundly influential in a wide variety of EMS initiatives. As an advocate on behalf of Paramedics and EMTs, he helped to educate members of Congress on the critical service EMS practitioners provide to their patients and communities.  He was a true patriot on and off the battlefield, seeking to unite people and organizations in the interest of providing better medical care.

Apart from his stellar career, Dr. Manifold was a dedicated family man married for 31-years to wife Denise, and a devoted father of three to Hanna, Della and Caleb. While Dr. Manifold was working tirelessly in his many professional roles, his family stood, often behind the scenes, supporting him and allowing him to be the man he was. Dr. Manifold’s untimely death was a tragic loss to his family and to the national EMS community; he is sorely missed. His contributions progressed EMS at the local, state and national levels and his legacy will continue to do so for years to come.

Dr. Manifold’s wife, Denise, is here this evening to accept this award on behalf of her husband, along with their daughter Della and her husband Steven Stolle.