By LOIS KINDLE
The Sun City Center Emergency Squad has once again earned national recognition for its unwavering commitment to volunteer emergency medical service. In October, Chief Mike Bardell and Robin Watt, board chairwoman, traveled to Indianapolis to accept the 2025 Volunteer EMS Service of the Year Award—sponsored by Digitech—from EMS World and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. The honor marks the squad’s second win in five years, having first received the award in 2020.
“In the field of emergency medical services, being recognized by EMS World and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians is the equivalent of an Emmy or Oscar in the entertainment industry,” said Watt, a longtime squad volunteer emergency medical technician. “We are incredibly honored to be recognized a second time for our services and commitment to the community.
Watt emphasized the award reflects more than just the squad’s efforts—it’s a shared achievement.
“We feel this recognition should extend beyond our volunteers to our generous community and donors, who support and make the squad possible,” she added. “Congratulations to all of our volunteers and community members!”
Bardell, who also serves as an emergency medical responder, shares her sentiments.
“I’m so proud for our volunteers to be recognized,” he said. “Even though there are other volunteer organizations in the country, there are very few, if any besides us, who don’t charge for service.”
The award includes a $1,000 honorarium, three-day conference pass registrations and $1,200 for travel and lodging. Bardell said he and Watt decided the prize money and travel expense award will be used to purchase something meaningful about the award for each volunteer.
Through this second award, EMS World and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians continue to acknowledge the selfless dedication of the Sun City Center Emergency Squad’s volunteers, who are almost all retirees.
In addition to their assigned duties and various levels of responsibility as members of the 501(c) 3 organization—ranging from basic emergency services ambulance personnel, dispatchers, maintenance staff, receptionists, cooks and more—squad volunteers go out into the community to train residents on bystander CPR, Stop The Bleed and fall prevention. They continually train to keep their skills sharp and also attend community wide events to build public awareness about the squad, recruit volunteers and hand out life-saving tips.
“We have a chief who looks beyond basic life support services to identify community needs and ways we can serve our residents,” Watt said. “We particularly appreciate our partnerships with other SCC organizations that create greater collaboration and communication during or after disasters.”
Emergency squad leaders are elated about the award.
“This award reflects more than our commitment to the residents,” said Betty Richner, vice-chairwoman of the board and captain of Team 2. “It illustrates how the squad is the front line of community care in Sun City Center.”
The chief agrees.
“One of my favorite things to do is brag about the squad and what we do,” Bardell said. “But I’m not exaggerating because the teams prove me right every day. In 2020, their response during the Covid-19 pandemic was amazing. Given what we knew about the virus’ affecting seniors in a very bad way, I thought we might be forced to shut down operations. However, I found out how dedicated to this community our volunteers are, even when it came to risking their own personal safety.
“Because we’re essentially the same age as our patients, we relate more to their issues and make them feel heard,” he continued. “It’s comforting and shows them they’re not alone.”
The Sun City Center Emergency Squad is the last all-volunteer, totally free, basic-life-support ambulance service in Florida. With more than 370 volunteers, including approximately 130 emergency medical technicians and responders, it serves a senior community of approximately 30,000 residents during the winter and 22,000 during the summer.
The average age of its volunteers is 72.
The squad has four ambulances and two wheelchair vans, which provide transportation to medical appointments for residents who are wheelchair bound.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Mike Bardell, Sun City Center Emergency Squad chief, and Robin Watt, board president, proudly display the 2025 Volunteer EMS Service of the Year Award recently presented by EMS World and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. The honor is the squad’s second win in five years.
“We average 4,000 ambulance calls per year and another 1,000 wheelchair-van runs with an annual operational budget of $450,000,” Watt said. “That money is raised through a fall fundraising campaign, occasional grants and regular donations from the community. No public funding is accepted.”
In addition to ambulance and van transportation for wheelchair-bound residents, the squad also loans out wheelchairs, canes and walkers and provides free blood pressure screening during office hours.
It hosts annual educational health symposiums, including its most recent one regarding Advanced Life Decisions.
“We have an amazing community and a truly great organization,” Watt said. “I know our volunteers are very deserving of this recognition and are very excited to receive the award.”