AEMS Blog

Sarah Carrico
EMCT-P
Arizona Fire & Medical Authority
Number of Years of Service: 8

I am honored to submit Paramedic Sarah Carrico of Arizona Fire & Medical Authority for formal recognition following her exceptional performance during a complex, high-acuity medical emergency on I-10 involving a 53-year-old male patient experiencing a rapidly evolving STEMI and subsequent cardiac arrest.

On July 28th 2025, Sarah and the combined crews of M328 and E328 responded to a call initially reported as chest pain. Upon arrival, Sarah immediately identified the patient’s presentation as a STEMI. Her clinical instincts were sharp and her leadership decisive. She rapidly initiated guideline-driven care and coordinated treatment efforts with the rest of the team, demonstrating the calm, precise communication that defines an exceptional paramedic.

Despite timely intervention, the patient deteriorated into cardiac arrest. Under Sarah’s direction, the team initiated an aggressive and coordinated resuscitation effort. The patient received aspirin, nitroglycerin, amiodarone, code-dose epinephrine, push-dose epinephrine, and was defibrillated seven times.

This was no ordinary arrest. The patient experienced multiple episodes of CPR-induced consciousness, exhibiting purposeful movement, verbalization, and removing his iGel airway. These situations are among the most stressful and emotionally jarring events encountered in prehospital medicine. Yet Sarah remained steady, composed, and clinically focused. Her ability to maintain scene control, direct meaningful interventions, and support her team during these moments was exemplary.

Due to Sarah’s persistence and clinical judgment, the patient regained ROSC during transport and remained awake upon arrival at Abrazo West Campus. Hospital findings revealed the severity of his condition:

• 100% occlusion of the left circumflex artery
• 95% mid-segment lesion in the left anterior descending artery
• 95% stenosis in the right coronary artery

Despite these extensive blockages, the patient survived, underwent emergent catheterization, and was discharged just days later with no neurological deficits.

This outcome is nothing short of remarkable, and it is directly tied to the consistent, high-quality,never-quit care that Sarah and her team delivered in the field.

This call demonstrates not only Paramedic Carrico’s clinical expertise but also her leadership, resilience, and ability to navigate a situation that pushed beyond protocol and into the realm where instinct and heart do matter.

There is a quote by Christopher Reeve that captures the significance of her actions:
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

On that day, Sarah was exactly that hero. She found the strength to persist in the face of medical, emotional, and operational challenges that would test even the most seasoned providers. Her leadership contributed directly to saving a man’s life, giving him more birthdays, more memories, and more moments with the people he loves.

For these reasons, I wholeheartedly nominate Paramedic Sarah Carrico for this distinguished award. Her actions exemplify the very best of EMS professionalism, compassion, and excellence.