SUNY Geneseo Senior Kelsey Costello Receives EMS Provider of the Year Award

2017 Mar 23

SUNY Geneseo senior Kelsey Costello, a psychology major from Northport, N.Y., recently received the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Provider of the Year Award from the National Collegiate EMS Foundation. Costello serves as Chief of Operations for SUNY Geneseo First Response (GFR), a state-certified EMS agency based at the college that is run by student-volunteers. Through its service, GFR provides emergency medical services to the Geneseo campus community.

The National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) presented Costello with the award at the organization's annual conference in Baltimore, Md. Each year, agencies from more than 100 colleges and universities around the country send more than 1,100 representatives to the conference; Costello is the first woman to receive the award in more than 13 years.

"I am ecstatic to receive this honor, and am so grateful that the Geneseo First Response team as a whole is getting the recognition it deserves for the invaluable dedication of its members," said Costello. "I am thankful to all of those in the Geneseo and Livingston County communities who have worked to make this possible not only for myself but for all of us. Thanks to you, I am able to foster and contribute to the excellence in GFR that its community deserves."

GFR operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Crews of three are led by a New York State-certified Emergency Medical Technician, providing emergency care to the students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the SUNY Geneseo campus. The crew chief is responsible for all primary patient care and oversees two attendant members trained in necessary emergency management skills. As the Chief of Operations, Costello also manages the squad as a whole, providing an invaluable link between the volunteers and resources at the college, local, and state levels. She also recently received a 2017 Volunteer and Service Award from the college.