Mercy Hospital honors first responders for life-saving efforts

First responders who went above and beyond to save lives were recognized Wednesday night during Mercy Hospitals annual EMS Awards Dinner.

The event honored emergency medical crews whose quick actions made a difference during life-threatening emergencies, including the rescue of a 34-year-old man found face down in a backyard.

For Skip Yuhnke, a paramedic with the Elma Fire Department, the call was a reminder of why he has dedicated nearly five decades to emergency medical services.

I got a monitor on him and I gave him one shock, but it took a lot more than that to get him to come around and get pulses and to start breathing again, Yuhnke said.

Despite his years of experience, Yuhnke said successfully bringing someone back after cardiac arrest is rare, making calls like this especially meaningful.

When you get somebody that comes back and you can actually save them, or you make their life better, or you help them so they do have a better outcome in their life, that's what it's all about to me, he said.

Next year, Yuhnke will mark 50 years as an EMT.

Kenneth Peterson, deputy fire commissioner for EMS with Buffalo Fire, said the awards dinner recognizes the dedication of first responders who put their communities first.

They are individuals that come from all walks of life that choose to both volunteer, compensated, to wake up in the middle of the night at a moment's notice and respond to calls for service, typically medical in nature, Peterson said.

Peterson said the dinner is also an opportunity to recognize those who often put their own busy lives aside to help others.

Elizabeth Forkel with Erie County MERS said first responders do not always receive the recognition they deserve, despite the long hours and sacrifices they make.

A lot of first responders go unrecognized for their work. They work day in, day out, long hours, sometimes for free, Forkel said. A lot of times they're volunteer agencies, and this really goes to show just how important they are to the community.

WATCH: Mercy Hospital honors first responders for life-saving efforts

For Yuhnke, the recognition is meaningful, but the greatest reward is knowing he helped give someone another chance at life.

"It means a whole lot, because I've been doing this for almost 50 years. I'll have 50 years as an EMT next year in 2027, and over those 50 years, I can count on my two hands the amount of cardiac arrests that have survived and come back to live a normal life," Yuhnke said.

After nearly 50 years in EMS, he said helping people have a better outcome is what keeps him answering the call.