Baxter Larmon, PhD, MICP, was recognized today with the 2022 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifetime of commitment to excellence, tremendous contributions, and outstanding leadership to Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The award is NAEMT’s most prestigious, generously sponsored by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). The presentation was made during NAEMT’s annual General Membership Meeting on October 11 in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Larmon has been actively involved in EMS for more than 40 years as an EMT, Lifeguard-Paramedic, Firefighter, Firefighter–Paramedic, EMS Educator, Researcher, Mentor, Author, and Professor. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), David Geffen School of Medicine and Emeritus Director at both the Center for Prehospital Care and the Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF). In 2000, Dr. Larmon was named one of the most influential people in EMS by the Journal of EMS, JEMS. He served on the founding board of directors of the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) and in 2009, received its lifetime achievement award. Most recently, he received a Distinguished Service Medal from the State of California for his extensive contributions in helping to initiate and advance prehospital medical care in the state.

Dr. Larmon is a leader in EMS and true friend to many. He has dedicated his life to the professionalism of EMS, making research his foundation. His interests span the gamut of best practices, evidence-based medicine, community health, patient safety, and the mentoring of new EMS researchers and educators. Throughout his career, Dr. Larmon has presented at more than 450 national and international conferences, authored 90 journal publications and four textbooks.

NAEMT President Bruce Evans said, “Dr. Larmon’s impressive career has taken him across all walks of EMS. He is a visionary who sees our investments in innovation and the EMS workforce as being vital to the future of our EMS profession. It has been my privilege to work with Baxter over the past year to launch our new mentorship program for future leaders, the NAEMT Lighthouse Leadership Program. For this and your many contributions, Baxter, we thank you.”

NREMT Board Chair Kevin Mackey, MD, noted, “When anyone in medicine thinks of Dr. Larmon, whether it is a seasoned firefighter doing their 10th EMT Recert, a medical student learning to read an EKG, a state director being informed about cutting-edge research that will improve patient care, or an audience held captivated by his ability to teach through storytelling—when anyone at any level in medicine thinks of Dr. Larmon, they think of a passionate professional, an energetic, spontaneous, and fun ambassador of EMS who has inspired generations of EMS professionals.”