Missoula EMS Paramedic Will Receive the 'Star of Life' Award

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Missoula Emergency Services paramedic Scott Munoz will be traveling to Washington, D.C. in November to receive a special ‘Star of Life’ award from the American Ambulance Association.

I spoke to Justin Grohs with the Montana Ambulance Association on Thursday for details on the award being presented to Missoula’s own Scott Munoz.

Missoula EMS Paramedic Will Receive the Star of Life Award in Washington, D.C.

“We're very excited that Missoula Emergency Services there in Missoula nominated one of their longtime Critical Care Paramedics, Scott Munoz, for a Star of Life Award, which is an event that takes place every year in Washington DC, hosted by the American Ambulance Association,” began Grohs.

Grohs said Munoz served as a paramedic since the 1980s in Ravalli County and with Missoula Emergency Services since the mid-1980s.

Munoz Received High Praise for His Accomplishments and Experience as an EMT

“Scott has been a part of Missoula Emergency Services since 1986, so a very long tenure,” he said. “He advanced through every level of EMT, starting with the most basic of EMT roles to his current role as a high-level critical care paramedic, which is really quite an accomplishment.”

Grohs said Munoz is especially valuable to Missoula Emergency Services because of his many years of experience dealing with stressful medical calls.

“Some of them are very, very stressful and can be pretty difficult to digest, and that's one of the reasons why in EMS, we pay very close attention to mental health and really value these long-time veterans who have been doing it for a long time and kind of can guide the newer folks through those types of issues and circumstances,” he said.

Munoz Has Been a Mentor to Many Young EMTs

Grohs said Munoz has not only trained numerous EMTs but has become a mentor to his fellow medical first responders.

“Scott is one of those,” he said. “He's been doing it such a long time, and he's one of those guys that really not only fits in well with everyone, but he actively makes sure everyone's doing okay and takes care of his colleagues and folks from other agencies in the city, there in the county. He is really just extremely thankful for this particular award. It's kind of a slam dunk. He's definitely extremely deserving.”

The awards will be presented in Washington, D.C. at the annual Stars of Life celebration November 11-13.