Local Hospital EMTs Honored with Maine EMS Phoenix Award

Date: 06/18/2025

Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital is pleased to announce that two of our emergency medical technicians were recently honored with the prestigious Maine EMS Phoenix Award: Roy Combs, EMT, and Brandy LaMarre, EMT. The Maine EMS Phoenix Award recognizes a licensed clinician or licensed dispatcher who used their skills and knowledge and participated in the successful resuscitation of a patient who experienced a non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, resulting in the patient’s survival with no neurological damage.
 
Combs is an EMT basic and is currently enrolled in advanced EMT school. He is also a Red Cross BLS (Basic Life Support), MOAB (Management of Aggressive Behavior), and EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operation Certification) instructor. An Army veteran who served 17 years with the last four as a mental health specialist and combat live safe, Combs has been involved in EMS since he was 16 years old. “I do this (EMS work) because I like to serve my community and being a part of helping those around me,” shares Combs.
 
LaMarre is also an EMT basic and a full-time medical assistant who has been accepted to paramedic school. “Taking care of people is a passion and knowing at the end of the day I did all I could to potentially make somebody’s day better when it could have been one of their worst days is why I do this,” says LaMarre.
 
Although they are appreciative of the recognition, both cite they were just doing their job and agree they do this work to make a difference in people’s lives.
 
"We are grateful for the commitment and dedication of our highly skilled EMTs as they provide emergency care to our community. We congratulate Brandy and Roy on this well-deserved recognition of their work," says Randy Clark, MBA, president of Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital.