Honorees

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Year Honored
2013
Honoree
Russell Piehl
Title
Flight Paramedic
Agency
Mercy Air Med
Agency City
Mason City
Agency State
IA
Last Call
1/2/13
Cause of Death
Medical Aviation Accident
Biography
"Russ" started his EMS career, as many of us do, at a young age. He graduated from Denver Community High School in 1982 and during his senior year, he started with EMS as a first responder with the Denver Ambulance Service. Over the course of the last 30 years, Russ worked at various ambulance services across the state of Iowa, also as the director of EMS services in Algona. He later became the EMS manager for training and education at North Iowa Area Community College. He was also a current member of the Forest City Ambulance Service. In addition, Russ also served on numerous boards and committees throughout his career, most recently as a board member for the Iowa EMS Association.<br /> <br /> Russ was an avid Green Bay Packer fanatic and shareholder. He enjoyed spending countless hours on his Harley, boating on the lakes of North Central Iowa, golfing and spending time with his wife and children, as well as spoiling grandchildren and being the best "Bumpa" there is. In 2007 he found his true passion, his ability to use the gift that God gave him, helping others in times of need and crisis, touching countless lives throughout his career as a flight paramedic for Mercy Air Med Flight. He loved to fly and he loved to help people.<br /> <br /> The crew Russell was working with was flying from Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa in Mason City to pick up a patient at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg when the their helicopter crashed in a field near Ventura. All crewmembers on board perished in the crash.<br /> <br /> <br /> "The three most important things in life are God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order" - Vince Lombardi<br /> <br /> Honored 2013