A Delaware County EMS captain was recently named EMS Provider of the Year for his decades of service and for his compassion for the community.

Capt. Jarrod Tupps, who has been working in EMS since 2002 and has been with Delaware County EMS since 2006, received the award last month at the Ohio Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 2024 EMS Star of Life Awards in Columbus.

Tupps was nominated by EMS Assistant Chief Jeremy Miller in January, and Tupps said Friday he learned he was going to receive the award in March.

“It’s a personal honor,” Tupps said. “I don’t feel that I do anything that special or extraordinary. I do my job. I treat people how I’d want someone to treat my own family.”

Tupps said he got started in EMS early because his parents were volunteer EMTs and his father was a volunteer firefighter.

“I remember being at the local firehouse at an early age and thinking this was something I wanted to do,” Tupps said.

The award specifically cites Tupps’ decades of service and the compassion that he has for the community. Tupps said that in his role as EMS captain, it isn’t just about managing medical emergencies.

“You’re not only dealing with the patient but the family members, too,” he said. “It’s the little things that afterwards make a big difference for somebody. It’s not always just about what care we give the person but also about the family, too. That can make a big difference in not only easing people’s nerves but also settling them. I feel that’s a big part, especially in the role I’m in now. I can do a lot of that.”

Tupps said his favorite part of the job is that “no two days are ever the same.” and he’s responded to a variety of challenges during his time in EMS.

“I like the challenge of figuring things out and being able to solve problems,” Tupps said. “Not just for crews and staffing but out in the real world. You never know what we’re going to end up doing when we go out the door. Things I’ve done over the years … people will go, ‘You really did that on a call?’”

As a example, Tupps said EMS once responded to a call for a man who had fallen and injured himself, and Tupps recounted taking the time to correctly hang the sprayer so the man could not injury himself trying to set it up again.

“It’s the little things like that, building stuff for people, we do it just so they don’t hurt themselves again,” Tupps said. “Small things like that really go a long way to build people’s trust with us and make them feel like we’re truly here for them.”

Tupps said he thinks the award is “a lot of hype I don’t deserve” but said he’s honored by the recognition.

“It really didn’t sink in until I was down at the (ceremony) and they said that out of 14,000 providers in the state of Ohio, that I was picked Provider of the Year. That’s when it really kind of sunk in,” Tupps said. “This is a big deal, but I’ve never been one to chase or look for that. I’m honored they thought that much of me and everything else, but I view it as I’m just doing what I like to do and what I enjoy to do.”

Tupps said the award was only possible because of the crew at Delaware County EMS.

“I’m grateful for the people that I work with,” he said. “The good crews we have here and the leadership we have here allow me to do what I do and enjoy, which is what I feel is one of the reasons I got this award … (the last 22 years in EMS) have gone by quickly but I’ve seen a lot of change. A lot of things are different from when we started, but it’s been for the good. I look forward to seeing what’s going to come over the next 16 years I have left here, at least.”

Tupps will be honored at the June 10 meeting of the Delaware County Board of Commissioners.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.