Each year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars honors first responders who have shown outstanding service to their communities.
Darren Hager, a paramedic with Dare County Emergency Medical Services, is the recipient of this year’s Veteran’s of Foreign Wars EMT Public Servant Citation. Dare County Public Safety Director Jennie Collins, who nominated Hager for the award, presented him with the certificate.
Paramedic Hager began his career with Dare County EMS in October 2017. Prior to joining Dare County, Hager worked as a Lieutenant in an EMS department in western North Carolina for many years.
“In the two years Darren has been with Dare County, he has excelled. Excellent patient care is a cornerstone of Darren’s performance and one of his many qualities that our community benefits from,” said Collins.
Hager also has a passion for teaching. He instructs the Department’s quarterly continuing education classes and is an adjunct instructor at the College of the Albemarle.
“Teaching EMS providers, from the newest student attempting to gain a foothold in the industry to the most tenured provider, takes patience, strength, commitment, encouragement, supportiveness, and intelligence to produce quality provider outcomes. These qualities are consistently demonstrated by Darren, which have resulted in catapulting him to a place of admiration among his students and peers,” Collins wrote in her nomination.
Not only does Hager excel in the classroom setting—he is equally adept functioning in a field training officer role where he is a preceptor for students bridging the academic classroom into the real-world “street” setting. He is a mentor that his co-workers turn to for direction and advice, long after the formal educational process is complete.
Additionally, Darren served in the U.S. Navy where he was an Engineer I and in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic. He has a total of six years military service and a total of 24 years in public safety. As evidenced by his years of public service and his commitment to teaching others, Hager is a dedicated public servant and is more than deserving of receiving the VFW EMT Public Service Citation.