Boston Emergency Medical Services held their 23rd annual awards banquet on Friday, Nov. 6 at Dorchester’s Venezia restaurant to honor those who have dedicated their lives to “exemplary practice of emergency care, contributions to the advancement of EMS, and demonstrations of commitment.”

Eight Dorchester residents and one Mattapan resident were among the awardees this year. Each award is given because of an event where an EMT might have risked his own life, saved the life of a patient, or demonstrated communicative, intelligent, quick and efficient medical care when working in extreme and hectic conditions to guarantee survival of a patient.

EMS Chief James Hooley, a 61 year-old Uphams Corner native, has worked on the department for 36 years. He says that the recipients of each award are chosen for being an EMT who “brings a lot of experience, sound judgment, and focus.”

“They are rapid, efficient, and committed when treating their patients,” said Hooley, who chooses the recipient for the Chief of Department award based on the votes of the recipient’s peers.

This year, the award went to Louis Robert, a Dorchester man who won the chief’s admiration because, Hooley says: “Day-in and day-out, he hustles.”

“He mentors EMT’s that have just gotten out of the academy. He is calm, steady, and offers a consistent level of care which ultimately leads to a strong presence in the community,” said the chief. The eight-year veteran of Boston EMS is “assigned to a unit that is perpetually busy while serving an area that has a high percentage of patients who are homeless and many patients suffering from substance abuse.”

Robert also serves on two of Boston EMS’ specialized units, including the department’s Bicycle Team at numerous special events and is assigned to the Harbor Unit.

Along with Robert, the rest of this year’s recipients included: Khalid Oubijjanem, a 19 year veteran of Boston EMS who was awarded The Lifesaving Medal and The Meritorious Achievement award.

“Oubijjanme, known as Kal, is terrific,” says Chief Hooley. “He knows how important it is for those of all ages to have instruction on how to give CPR.”

Oubijjanme and his fellow EMT Brett Johnson saved the life of a person last spring who had sustained a life-threatening leg injury, applying a tourniquet to the patient’s thigh and transporting her to a trauma center.

Chris Holgate is a 10 year veteran who received the Dr. Michael Pozen EMT of the Year award. He works evenings and was selected by his peers within the department. “He brings his A-game to every call and is very low-key and a calm, his actions speak louder than his words,” Hooley said of Holgate.

Justin Pariseau received the Dr. Erwin Hirsch Award for Excellence in Pre-Hospital Trauma Care, an award bestowed by physicians at Boston Medical Center. “It was his first week out of the academy and he saved a life because of his rapid and efficient level of care,” said the chief.

Jon Gorgone won the Dr. Philip P. McGovern, Jr. Silver Spoon Award for supervising the “complicated and difficult” birth of twins. Gorgone and his team worked together quickly and efficiently to ensure the survival of the mother and the twins.

EMT James Deller of Dorchester was awarded a Department Citation for his fast actions in preventing a tragedy during one of the major snowstorms last winter. While responding to a call, Deller noticed a car idling in a snowbank with two children in the back seat. “His keen observations and immediate actions surely prevented a tragic situation from occurring and his actions have not gone unnoticed by his colleagues,” according to his citation.

Dorchester’s Janell Jimenez and Stan Majorowski— and Mattapan’s Hakim Reid— each awarded a Unit Citation. All three “are street smart and have the ability to engage patients with verbal communication. They pick up on non-verbal cues and can calmly assess the situation and stabilize the patient in a life-threatening situation,” said Dooley.