The rescuers from Crete sweeping International Awards – The story behind the team’s creation

In each contention they enter, they instrumentality with yet different grant and caller designation of their precocious caliber. The EMS of Crete team, made up of experienced paramedics and doctors successful the pre-hospital attraction field—many of whom service successful the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV) of Crete—has managed to basal retired not conscionable for its achievements, but for its passionateness and dedication to the ngo of redeeming lives. Since its founding successful 2006, calved from a tendency to springiness back, the squad has remained committed to a wide vision: continuous improvement, knowledge-sharing, and the advancement of frontline services that prevention lives.

Their astir caller triumph—taking archetypal spot successful the 6th Cyprus Ambulance Crew Competition—is much than conscionable different award. It’s a designation of a corporate effort, a tone of teamwork, and a contented that honors the representation of those who inspired the instauration of EMS of Crete. Behind each medal and occurrence lies the psyche of radical who ne'er halt learning, training, and serving—with their hearts ever turned toward humanity.

Team subordinate Manolis Rokadakis spoke to the Athens News Agency (APE-MPE) astir the instauration of EMS of Crete successful 2006.

“We’re radical who profoundly emotion what we do, and for us, improving ourselves is essential. The thought was to observe different teams up close—how they operate, however they instrumentality protocols, what they bash differently, what they bash better, oregon what we bash amended and should make further,” said Mr. Rokadakis, holding their astir caller grant from Cyprus, incapable to fell his joy.

The lawsuit successful question was the 6th Cyprus Ambulance Crew Competition (EMS Cyprus Aphrodite Rally 2025), held successful Paralimni, Cyprus, from October 2–4. Competing teams were faced with realistic exigency scenarios, with EMS of Crete taking first spot among 33 teams.

“These scenarios mimic real-life conditions, and the extremity is to grip each lawsuit successful the champion imaginable way,” emphasized Rokadakis, who added that these successes substance and motivate the squad to support going.

“It brings large joyousness because, to beryllium honest, we hole intensively earlier each competition. So, each triumph feels similar a reward for our efforts and reassures america that our hard enactment isn’t successful vain,” helium said. Through specified awards, helium added, the quality and level of Greek pre-hospital attraction professionals is besides highlighted.

“Being capable to basal retired shows the precocious level of expertise successful Greece’s pre-hospital sector. I deliberation we show not lone our information but besides our cognition and capabilities—something the authorities should instrumentality adjacent much earnestly by further supporting pre-hospital attraction successful presumption of grooming and aesculapian equipment, truthful we tin scope European standards.”

Dr. Michalis Zervopoulos, besides a squad member, explained that specified distinctions tin motivate much professionals successful the tract to get involved. Regardless of however the authorities supports pre-hospital care, helium stressed that:

“We tin instrumentality inaugural ourselves—continuing to evolve, enactment informed, and strive to go better.”

One of the astir important aspects of the squad is the communicative down its founding, and particularly the two radical who inspired it—the precocious Dimitris Vourvachakis, Director of EKAV Crete, and the precocious Vangelis Kelarakis, an EKAV Crete paramedic. Both tragically mislaid their lives successful an ambulance clang connected December 12, 2012, portion en way to a first-aid seminar successful Rethymno.

“Dimitris Vourvachakis and Vangelis Kelarakis were our leaders, and this squad was their vision. We are continuing what they started successful their memory, trying to support that imaginativeness alive,” added Manolis Rokadakis, who noted that adjacent today, the squad feels the beingness of some men connected each mission.

“They’re with america due to the fact that we perpetually person them successful our minds. We adjacent deterioration the day they passed distant connected our uniforms during competitions,” said Rokadakis.

Their planetary designation is truthful beardown that successful competitions they’ve participated in—not lone are Vourvachakis and Kelarakis remembered to this day, but honorary awards are fixed successful their names, peculiarly successful Cyprus, wherever full grooming scenarios are dedicated to them.

The squad has already participated and earned distinctions successful countries beyond Cyprus, including the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Poland, and they person received invitations to competitions successful Norway and the UK. According to the squad members, these planetary events assistance them enactment updated connected new protocols, emerging trends, and developments successful different pre-hospital systems.

As Dr. Zervopoulos summed it up:

“Ultimately, it’s not astir competing with others—it’s a contention with ourselves and our ain tendency to improve.”