Hero of the Month
Our June Hero of the Month
is Ross Chavez, Firefighter/Paramedic
Woodbury Fire Dept
Nominated by Angie Whitley
Angie wrote in to say: “Ross has been a paramedic for 15+ years. He is an extraordinary individual who is dedicated to the City of Woodbury community where he lives and works. His natural leadership abilities have served him well throughout his career. He recently completed his NFPA Fire Fighter I and II as well as Haz-Mat Operations. In 2021, he won the VFW Emergency Medical Technician Public Service Citation for his outstanding service to his community and a Paramedic Award for special recognition of exemplary service to humanity.”
After that nomination, we had to learn more from Ross. This is what he shared:
Q: Ross what do you enjoy doing outside of work hours?
A: With three young children, my wife and I are dedicated to their growth and enrichment. As a family we thrive in the outdoors, exploring new state and national parks and planning return trips to our favorites. We look forward to return to multi-day backcountry trips in the Canadian Rockies! We read with purpose, eat foods that expose us to new cultures, and challenge our limits in the arts (lots of singing, dancing, and instruments) and physical endurance (rock climbing, hiking, and bicycling).
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: Having grandparents on both my mother's and father's side of the family who risked everything to immigrate to this country in search of opportunity and a better life, I appreciate the sacrifice and grit that it took from them.
I've learned that success looks different for everyone. For me, it means having the privilege of making a living by doing something that brings great meaning and joy to my life, that makes a difference and creates change.
I started this journey as an emergency department volunteer in 1997. I can honestly look back at my time in this industry and say that I am proud of the accomplishments, the failures, the saves, the losses, the persistence, and the optimism.
Most of all though, each time my uniform goes on, knowing that I might change someone's life in even the smallest way, and knowing that I'm doing that while standing on the shoulders of my parents and grandparents while setting an example for my children is a proud moment…that happens almost every day.
Q: What defines TEAM for you?
Team is a group of individuals who support, encourage, and mentor each other.
Our line of work depends on teams to provide coordinated life-saving care to the sick and injured, problem-solve to support those in crisis, and perform to a high standard in the face of significant physical and mental stress. Our team is like a family that works together to thrive and achieve success with mutual respect and communication as key ingredients. And, like a family, we do it despite the occasional dysfunction and disagreement.
Q: What excites you about the rookies coming up the ranks?
A: It's funny that I now find myself saying some of the same things about the new and young firefighters and EMS providers embarking on their careers as what the veterans said about me and my peers when we were first starting. I stop myself, though, because it's exciting to see how fresh eyes and open minds coming into this field may create innovation based on their lived experiences that are far different from mine.
I am hopeful for rookies who more accurately represent the communities they serve, who will add considerable depth to our collective pool of knowledge within the fire and EMS services, and who will usher in a new paradigm that challenges issues of inequity and social determinants of health. The services we provide as firefighters and EMS providers are directly impacted, internally and externally, by the many types of historical injustices plaguing all of us.
Q: What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?
A: In 10 years my oldest daughter will be preparing for life after high school so I hope that I'll be able to look back and say that I balanced my time between family and career. For me, that means that I was present and engaged with my wife and children and that we made happy memories. I know that I'm a better emergency responder when my life is balanced, when I'm grounded, and when I have a clear perspective. I am eternally grateful to my wife and children for never letting me forget that.
Join us in celebrating Ross as the Hero of the Month for his bravery, generous spirit, and dedication to community. Ross is an inspiration to many who knew him at Hennepin Healthcare and those who currently serve beside him in Woodbury.
If you know a paramedic or firefighter who goes above and beyond to serve his or her community – please nominate them for a Hero of the Month profile. We publish a new one on the first of every month and have a goal to profile firefighters from every community in Minnesota. Visit firefightersforhealing.org/heroofthemonth