Honorees

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Year Honored
1999
Honoree
Thomas K Spalding, III
Agency
Putnam County EMS
Agency City
Winfield
Agency State
WV
Last Call
10/12/98
Cause of Death
Ambulance Involved MVC
Biography
It is written in a poem about Tom Spalding, III, by a co- worker, "An Angel Crossed My Path." In this, he defined who Tom was, and what made him stand apart. He stated, "no matter how small or large - he was there to do his job, he had a special empathy for children and the elderly for a man his size, 6'5 and about 400 pounds, he was gentle as a lamb."<br /> <br /> Thomas Spalding, 25, had been an EMT since 1992, and a paramedic since 1997. He was a Firefighter/Paramedic with Hurricane Volunteer Fire Department, and a paramedic with Putnam County Emergency Medical Services. Mr. Spalding was a volunteer firefighter with Glasgow Fire Department in West Virginia before moving to Putnam County. He was a 1992 graduate of DuPont High School, and had an associate degree in fire science from West Virginia Tech.<br /> <br /> Responding to a medical call, the rescue unit crashed with a tractor trailer, instantly killing Tom Spalding and seriously injuring his partner. The accident was blamed on the extremely dense fog that blanketed the area.<br /> <br /> Thomas Spalding, III is survived by his wife, Cathy, father, Kevin Spalding, Jr., mother, Jeannie Beard Salyer, stepfather, Mike Salyer, stepmother, Sue Spalding, sister, Shelley Atkinson, stepbrother, Joe Allen, maternal grandmother, Cora Beard, and paternal grandmother, Patsy Spalding.<br /> <br /> Honored 1999