Honorees

← Back to directory

Year Honored
2011
Honoree
John R Demkosky
Agency
Lackawanna Ambulance
Agency City
Scranton
Agency State
PA
Last Call
11/29/10
Cause of Death
Other Medical
Biography
Known for his sense of humor and his "happy-go-lucky" ways, "Demo" was the guy who had a contagious smile and made people laugh whenever he was around. If things were tense or someone felt down, John had a "Demo-ism" to help the situation. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, John was a gentle giant and one of the most compassionate, sensitive guys that didn't have a mean bone in his body.<br /> <br /> In addition to his employment at Lackawanna Ambulance, John was a volunteer Firefighter and EMT with Chinchilla Hose Company in South Abington Township, PA and had worked as a 911 dispatcher for Lackawanna County. He often went above the call of duty. John had befriended one of the company's regular patients. He would often pick up and take the man for a meal before his shift started. Going above and beyond was not limited to work; while gathering items in a scavenger hunt, John was unable to remove a sign from its post. So he removed the sign, post and all, in order to gather all of the items required.<br /> <br /> On the morning of November 29, while parked at his unit's system status stand-by location, John Demkosky, 35, suffered an apparent seizure. His partner immediately started care and requested assistance. Numerous units responded to the call. John however, went into cardiac arrest. He was transported to Mercy Hospital in Scranton where resuscitative efforts continued. After nearly an hour, ED staff and his fellow paramedics were unable to revive him.<br /> <br /> Honored 2011