With a 26-year career working in EMS, Richelle Treece, the News-Star’s 2024 First Responder of the Year, wears many hats.
From working as a paramedic at REACT EMS to serving 26 years a volunteer firefighter in Bethel Acres, Treece also works as a labor and delivery surgical scrub tech and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Oklahoma National Guard, with 37 years of miliary service to her credit. She’s also the mother of two, ages 17 and 19.
During a recent shift at REACT EMS, Treece was surprised at Station No. 1 in Shawnee with an announcement and award ceremony naming her at The Shawnee News-Star’s First Responder of the Year, an award that is sponsored by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Treece was chosen for the honor among nominations received from the public. Treece, who has spent her life serving her family, her community and her country, feels blessed to be able to take care of patients and was humbled by the honor.
During the presentation, Treece described the day – and the award – as a poetic full-circle moment.
Ironically, she said, she started her career in the 90s at REACT EMS and then spent many years at another ambulance service Oklahoma City before returning to work at REACT about three years ago. She said her first patient of the day just happened to be someone she worked with in the 90s. And while she’s not quite ready for retirement just yet, she said she is ending her career where it all started at REACT.
“I’m very blessed,” she said, as she mentioned being able to care for her patients.
Treece, who likes being a part of the team, finds her work very rewarding. She said she and her co-workers all work together as a team to provide those first critical moments of care on scene and in transport before they get patients to the hospital.
During her career in EMS, Treece has worked in a variety of roles, including Dispatcher, EMT-Basic, Advanced EMT, and Paramedic.
Although she is now a Paramedic, Treece spent most of her EMS career as an EMT. In addition to her work in EMS, Treece works part-time as labor and delivery surgical scrub tech at Shawnee’s hospital, a role she’s had for 17 years.
Along with her active service and 37-year career in the Oklahoma National Guard, Treece spends her free time doing school photography. Treece, who lost her husband, Wes, to cancer in 2009, only had one photo of him, she said, so after he died, she started taking pictures and photography became both a hobby and part of a healing journey. She still volunteers her photography service to this day to help all the parents who can’t attend all the after-school events because of their jobs or schedules. That’s also something she’s familiar with while raising her children.
Her son, Richard, is a high school senior at OSSM, and her daughter, Cadence, is at sophomore at Oklahoma Baptist University.
The News-Star’ First Responder of the Year award is just one of the accolades Treece has received this year.
In November, she was among 143 EMS professionals from across the nation honored for being 2024 Stars of Life. Awards were presented in Washington D.C. by the American Ambulance Association.
Stars of Life pays tribute to the dedication of hometown heroes in EMS. The Stars also met with members of Congress and congressional aides to discuss policy issues critical to emergency medical services.
Outside of her professional life, Treece has shared meaningful travel experiences with her daughter and son, exploring incredible destinations such as Greece, Egypt, Italy, France, and England.
With this First Responder of the Year award, Treece received $500 and a plaque, along with a $100 gift card to share a meal with her fellow medics on shift at REACT EMS.
