Page 18 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Summer 2022 - Online Magazine

CHAD CURRY

hometown by Jane Bromley

heRo

his issue of Senior Link is
dedicated to “hometown
Theroes.” Each of them has
nobly and courageously dedicated
their lives to the safety of our
community. One person who
fits that description like a hand
in a rubber glove is Chad Curry.
Born and bred in Lubbock, he has
become something of a legend half-time (one 24-hour shift a week) be deployed again as this article is
when it comes to emergency for AeroCare. “A short week is 64 going to print. Since he's trained in
medicine. hours.” managing Ebola, he has dealt with
many of its “cousins”, including
When Chad was a senior in high Currently, Chief Curry supervises a monkeypox outbreak in Dallas.
school, a neighbor and family 155 EMTs and paramedics on the His job has been dangerous at
friend—affectionately called staff of UMC EMS. He speaks times, and he’s lost good friends in
DeeDee—went into cardiac arrest. all over the country at training the line of duty. He is no stranger
Chad remembered, “I had been seminars and workshops for to tragedy, but as one of the
riding with my uncle in Dallas numerous programs. “We have most experienced paramedics in
who is a fireman, so I knew how many things that are unique in Lubbock, he has learned to keep
to start CPR before the ambulance Lubbock, like the LVD
arrived.” A passion was birthed. artificial heart pump, “
Chad graduated from Monterey which a lot of programs Chad Curry is the epitome of what it means
High School in ‘93 and from Texas don’t have.” Chad to be a paramedic. He has no reservations
Tech with a Health Science Center and his team present
Certificate in Paramedicine in ’96. countless outreach about being the first in line to help—no
He immediately went to work for programs to all kinds matter what the need is. He continually
UMC EMS and added AeroCare to of school and civic educates himself and then teaches everyone
his resumé in 2001. Chad met Susan organizations. “We do a around him what he's learned. It's one
Fritz at Texas Tech in 1995, and they lot of training on ‘Stop thing to be able to do something, but it's
married a year later. Their two big the Bleed’—22,000 by the a whole other level to be able to teach it.
strapping boys are now 24 and 21. end of the school year.” He’s consistently finding the bar and then
Chad has also served on raising it. The thing I value so much about
Chad is usually in the office by 5:30 the Governor's Council
a.m. He serves on 13 committees for Texas EMS. Chad is that he is always striving to make
and teaches three nights a week EMS and aeromedicine better.
which means getting home at 10:30 He was deployed over – Dr. Jack Shannon
pm. He still responds to calls if it’s 200 days between 2020 Medical Director for AeroCare
close or critical, and he still works and 2022 and is about to ”

18 Lubbock Senior Link