Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today met with Tom Jansky, a paramedic from St. Cloud, who was recently named a “Star of Life” by the American Ambulance Association, for his outstanding work as a lifesaver. Jansky is the only Minnesotan to receive the award, which was presented to 125 paramedics nationwide. Jansky was selected by his colleagues to represent them in Washington, DC, including the meeting with Dayton, as part of National Emergency Medical Services Week.

“Tom Jansky exemplifies the very best of his profession,” said Dayton. “I applaud his selfless dedication to saving lives, and I congratulate him on winning this prestigious honor from the American Ambulance Association.”

Jansky, who has worked as a paramedic for the last 33 years, was among the first volunteer emergency responders to arrive on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. Recently, he returned to the Gulf as a volunteer during the final stages of recovery.

Said Jansky: “The opportunity to meet these people that you see in the news and to see the process at work is overwhelming. Also, the history and the places to go and see in DC have been really exciting.”

In 2003, the American Ambulance Association honored Dayton as “Legislator of the Year,” for his continued efforts to improve rural ambulance service. Dayton has been working on passage of legislation with Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), which would improve the classification system for ambulance service providers, allowing them to receive federal funds based on population served, rather than a simple “rural” or “urban” classification. Dayton is also on a bill, introduced by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), to increase federal reimbursements to rural ambulance providers.

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