It has been named the Volunteer Service of the Year for 2020 by the Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association.

This is the fourth time the squad has received that honor. It also won the award in 2000, 2002 and 2012.

”It’s an honor for the crew,” said Mike Sexe, the hospital’s emergency medical services director. ”It is a group award. It’s not something an individual can do.”

He said the award offers the community the reassurance that is served by a unit capable of handling any emergency.

The community, he added, helps the emergency medical service.

”Our community is real supportive,” Sexe said. ”If there’s a need, it’s met.”

He said he believes the service won the award in part because of the large number of calls it handled last year. The unit responded to a record 916 calls in 2020.

”It’s pretty unheard of to have that many calls with volunteers,” Sexe said.

The ambulance crew has 31 members. Sexe and three paramedics are full-time employees. The remaining 27 are volunteers.

The volunteers include drivers, emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians, paramedics and registered nurses.

The service has three ambulances. A fourth one has been ordered and will be delivered late this year.

The service was established in about 1968.