Honoring the Life and Legacy of John Pafford

Dear Arkansas Ambulance Association Members and Arkansas EMS colleagues,

As many of you are likely aware, our friend and fellow ARAA Board Member, Jamie Pafford-Gresham and the Pafford family, are grieving the loss of their beloved John Pafford.  On behalf of the Arkansas Ambulance Association, our Board of Directors, and EMS professionals throughout our state, I extend our deepest condolences to the Pafford family and all who were blessed to know and work alongside John.

For generations, the Pafford family has served communities throughout Arkansas and the Mid-South. We honor not only John's life, but also the legacy of a kind and generous man who is deeply loved, and who contributed greatly to our profession.

Many within our industry knew John not simply as a respected colleague, but as a trusted friend. He was known for his generosity, kindness, and unwavering willingness to help others. Whether offering guidance, support, encouragement, or resources, John consistently placed the needs of others before his own. His leadership was matched by a genuine compassion that made everyone around him feel valued and seen.

We extend our heartfelt prayers, love, and support to Jaime and the entire Pafford family during this difficult time. Their family's dedication to EMS has left an enduring mark on our profession and on the communities they serve.

Even in passing, John's commitment to helping others continues. Through his selfless decision to become an organ donor, John provided the ultimate gift of life. His generosity has already impacted five families and will continue to influence generations to come. This final act of service and compassion reflects the very character that so many of us admired throughout his life and career.

As we remember John, we ask that you keep the Pafford family, their employees, friends, and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. While our profession has lost a colleague, we also celebrate a life dedicated to caring for others, and making our communities better through service and sacrifice.

As we mourn this tremendous loss, we also celebrate a life that embodied service, leadership, generosity, and compassion. John's influence on emergency medical services will continue to be felt for many years through the organizations he helped build, the countless professionals he mentored, and the many lives he touched throughout his remarkable journey.

May God provide comfort, peace, and strength to the Pafford family and all who mourn his passing. Let us honor John's legacy by continuing to serve others with the same passion, integrity, and kindness that he demonstrated every day.

With deepest sympathy,

Amanda Warren Newton
Board President
Arkansas Ambulance Association

We recently received an email from RHTP leadership, which is included below for your visibility. While it does not provide much new information, we wanted to share it with you.

We know there are many questions and that everyone is ready to get started. Please know we are tracking this closely and will continue doing our very best to keep you informed as information becomes available. No one is more ready to move forward than we are.

We look forward to sharing additional details as soon as we receive them.

Thank you for your patience and continued engagement!

From Russellville Fire Dept Facebook

Today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, the Russellville Fire Department is honored to begin a mission with profound meaning: becoming the first ground EMS service in Arkansas to carry blood products in the field.

There is something incredibly meaningful about beginning this mission today.

Twenty-five years ago, we watched first responders run toward danger when others needed them most. Thousands of lives were lost, and countless heroes gave everything they had in service to others.

Today, we honor that legacy by continuing that same commitment—to run toward those who need us, bring lifesaving care closer, and give every patient the best possible chance to survive.

Beginning this lifesaving capability on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is more than a milestone for our department. It is a reminder that the spirit of the fire service lives on through service, sacrifice, courage, and hope.

We remember those we lost.

We honor those who served.

And we carry their legacy forward

One Patient. One Call. One Life at a Time.

How schools are teaching 9/11 to a generation born after the attacks

At least 40 states address 9/11 through education standards, laws or school observances, but what students learn about the attacks and their aftermath varies widely

By Jennifer Peltz

Associated Press

NEW YORK — For three days this summer, teachers converged at the Flight 93 National Memorial in remote western Pennsylvania to talk about 9/11.

How best to educate a new generation about the attacks 25 years ago? Which details are appropriate for young kids? What do victims’ families want students to be told about the dead?

“Even worse than getting started wrong or using inappropriate language is the total omission of telling the story,” Gordon Felt, whose brother Edward Felt died on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, told teachers in one session. “That’s our biggest fear.”

Teaching about 9/11 in schools is more important than ever now that about one-third of Americans were born after al-Qaida hijackers crashed planes and killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, the Pentagon and rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A growing majority of states — at least 40 — expect or suggest that public schools address 9/11 in some way, but the provisions vary widely in scope, specificity and framing, The Associated Press has found.

State education standards range from detailed course content to broad concepts. As a result, some don’t specify what to teach about Sept. 11.

A decade after the attacks, about 60% of states didn’t explicitly mention 9/11 in their education standards, but there has been more movement toward teaching it as time passed and the attacks were seen as “a settled event,” said University of Wisconsin education professor Jeremy Stoddard. He, now-retired dean Diana Hess and colleagues have researched 9/11 education for decades.

“For those states that include it, it seems to be going in much more depth than it was in the past,” Stoddard said.

Full article here.

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