Amesbury Firefighter/EMT Todd Calderwood Receives Award

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Outstanding Contributions to EMS Award Offered by NorthEast Emergency Medical Services, Inc.

Chief Kenneth E. Berkenbush is proud to announce that a member of the Amesbury Fire Rescue Department has been honored for his work in the field of emergency medical services.

“In all of my years as a member of a fire rescue department, I have never seen someone go above and beyond the call of duty as routinely and often as Firefighter/EMT Todd Calderwood,” Chief Berkenbush said. “It seems like every time we go on a call, he finds a way to go the extra mile to find ways to improve the lives of our patients and residents.”

Calderwood was honored with the regional “Outstanding Contributions to EMS” award by NorthEast Medical Services Inc.

In one example cited by Chief Berkenbush in the award application, the Amesbury Fire Rescue Department responded to a medical call after it was reported that a disabled elderly resident had fallen out of his wheelchair in the bathroom. Upon responding, Calderwood noted that the man’s toilet was leaking, and the patient told him that it had broken from a previous fall and that he did not have the money to fix it. Calderwood treated the patient, cleaned the bathroom, stopped the leak, and then returned to the man’s home the next day, on his day off, to repair the leaky toilet for free.

When asked about it, Calderwood simply told the chief “it’s the right thing to do.”

“We live in a fast-paced world with people who are often drawn in multiple directions at once and don’t have a lot of free time to themselves. But Firefighter Calderwood seems to thrive on service to others,” Chief Berkenbush said.

Other examples cited in the award include:

Calderwood built a ramp for another patient who required the use of a wheelchair. He donated his time and all of the materials free of charge.
Calderwood, a military veteran, routinely goes out of his way to find out if patients served in the military, and he always thanks them for their service.
Calderwood always carries pet treats while on duty, both at the station and on calls. He has ensured that the fire station is “pet friendly” and encourages residents to bring their dogs to visit the firefighters.

Firefighter/EMT Calderwood also keeps up-to-date on the latest training and trends in the ever-changing field of EMS.