Trollinger Law LLC is proud to announce the recipients of its fourth annual Hometown Heroes Awards, nominated by the community.
The recognition honors the commitment, dedication, and bravery demonstrated by first responders throughout Southern Maryland.
Diane Mangel – Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad (MVRS)
Diane serves as a certified emergency medicine technician and secretary at MVRS. Her work ethic and compassionate spirit makes her a perfect candidate for the Hometown Hero award. Her passion for MVRS and serving the community reverberated via the phone. She did not just enjoy what she did, she loved it. She is a gatekeeper to all things MVRS for so many in southern Maryland.
While COVID-19 sidelined Diane from actively riding in the ambulance, she never stopped supporting the efforts of MVRS in her role as secretary. Her attention to detail and passion is unmatched. She manages the daily life of MVRS by ensuring no deadlines are missed, and the paperwork is submitted in a timely and grammatically correct manner. Now that the surge of COVID19 subsided, Diane returned to the ambulance. She is a mentor and great leader for all those she encounters. She has set the standard for how to be of service. Diane is always available to give a helping hand. Her commitment, character and conduct are an exemplary example of a Hometown Hero. She puts others needs before her own and is invested in her community. Her compassion is infectious. The world is better because of her willingness to serve others.
Christian Merchant – Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department
Christian applied for membership with Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department on November 6th, 2019, and was fully accepted as a member of our department in May of 2020. In the four years with Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, he successfully took and passed his MFRI Firefighter I and II and obtained many smaller courses to include his required Incident Command System courses, and Hazmat Ops and Awareness. Almost equally, if not more importantly, he obtained his Maryland Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification. Before the time he had taken his EMT course, Maryland EMS had switched to a new testing system. They enacted the National Registry examination, which as it is titled, is recognized at the national level with most only needing to take their local protocols or petition for a certificate in the state of their choosing.
With determination, grit, and dedication to his future, he went for his national test and passed it! It is such an accomplishment in the Fire/EMS service, and he was certainly proud. With this certification, he was able to officially obtain his Maryland certification to start providing primary care. In the following years, Christian would go on to spend just about every waking moment that he could at the firehouse. He never stopped learning; always watching fire department training videos online, taking part in any drill that he could, and most importantly just talking with those experienced around him to take in as much as possible about this service that he is so passionate about.
In the following years through the present, he has gone on to become one of the top runners of the Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department organization ā through many challenges like COVID, and even more increasingly time consuming, when he decided he wanted to continue his EMS education and attempt to earn his Paramedic certification. He ultimately went through the state of Virginia to obtain his Paramedic certification, as his first attempt was not successful, but more importantly he never gave up. He has since received his
Maryland certification and is currently doing his internship hours to become officially certified as a fully functional Paramedic in the State of Maryland.
Over the last two years, Christian has been voted on by a department of his peers to receive numerous commendations/awards to include: Firefighter of the Year, EMT of the Year ā Twice, and at the departmentās most recent banquet, he was voted as Member of the Year by his peers.
Some people never receive these awards, and he has received one twice. Given all that Christian did, and continues to, by devoting many hours manning the station while taking the above training, on top of running the endless amounts of calls that he did, in between daily schooling for hours upon hours, he naturally was hooked and decided about a year and a half ago that he wanted to become a career fireman.
Given all his accomplishments, including being voted on as our Member of the Year, Mr. Merchant is a worthy recipient of Trollinger Lawās Hometown Hero Award of 2023.
Sherry Weiss ā Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad
Sherry joined Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad in January of 2021. Since she joined, she has received her EMT Certification and just recently received her EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operator certification) certification. Sherry this year has also taken over our Orientation Program and welcomes new members with open arms.
An example of a first responder, always on duty though not on call, recently occurred when Sherry and her family were flying from DC to Florida for a much needed vacation. Not so soon after takeoff a passenger went into cardiac arrest, unconscious. Sherry jumped right in and started doing CPR. The plane made an emergency landing in Richmond, VA and the patient was alive and talking to them when they took the patient off the plane. Sherry is a GREAT asset to Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad and our greater southern Maryland community.
Learn more about the Hometown Heroes contest by visiting Trollinger Lawās website today.
