Mohawk Ambulance Service Honors EMT with Heroism Award

PRESS RELEASE

SCHENECTADY, NY—Mohawk Ambulance Service, which provides EMS and transport services to the Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga areas of New York, announced March 25, 2021 that it has awarded Jesse Strader, EMT, with the company’s first-ever Heroism Award.

The award was bestowed for Strader’s life-saving act that averted tragedy due to his quick thinking and intuition, a company release stated.

On the evening of October 31, 2019, Strader, an employee of Mohawk as of March 2019, and his partner Noah Carlo, EMT, were traveling on State Street in Schenectady when Strader saw what appeared to be a fire in the distance. They arrived at the source of the fire to find a small crowd gathered outside a two-family home.

Strader, a volunteer firefighter with the Rexford Fire Department, asked whether anyone was inside the building. Upon learning there were still people inside, Strader ran up to the second floor and started banging on doors.

This act woke several people who were still asleep and otherwise unaware of the fire. Strader was able to usher them out of the building to safety.

“Jesse Strader is a hero and we are proud to have him on the Mohawk team. He has always gone above and beyond the call of duty to preserve the safety of his community, whatever the situation,” said James P. McPartlon, III, president of Mohawk Ambulance Service. “It is this act of heroism that reminds us of the allegiance we as emergency medical service personnel are called to each and every day. On behalf of Mohawk Ambulance Service, I thank Jesse Strader for his service and his act of selflessness."

“I am humbled by Mohawk Ambulance’s recognition and grateful that I was at the right place at the right time to ultimately avoid a tragic incident. It is truly a blessing that everyone was able to get out of that burning building unharmed,” said Strader. “As both an EMT and volunteer firefighter, I feel responsible to our community and a dedication to help in circumstances such as these whenever I can.”

Mohawk Ambulance Service is the largest privately owned ambulance service in upstate New York. With more than 40 emergency response vehicles, Mohawk Ambulance Service provides basic life support and advanced life support services to the counties of Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga. Mohawk Ambulance Service employs more than 300 New York State-certified EMTs, critical care technicians and paramedics.