Empress Emergency Medical Services has donated a 2009 Ford E350 ambulance to the For Paul Foundation, an organization founded by Florida resident Dawn Witherspoon in memory of her husband, Paul Besaw, a critical care flight paramedic who was killed in the line of duty in 2017.
The donation will make it easier for the For Paul Foundation to transport meals and supplies to first responders during emergencies. Witherspoon said they have been able to help during some severe events, including the 2021 Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, Fla., and hurricanes.
“We brought meals at 3 a.m., and there were 300 people that were searching at the towers. We had cold water in our coolers and oil for the generators,” she said. “We’ve previously had to rent trucks to bring supplies to the front lines.”
The ambulance will also be used as a sanctuary for any first responders in need of respite during crisis situations. Witherspoon said she took refuge in an ambulance to get away from the media during her husband’s funeral and hopes the ambulance will help others who need time out.
“One of the services that we came out of — my daughter was 5 at the time — and there were so many people, flashes and cameras. So we hid in the back of an ambulance until people went away. I just really appreciated that it was there at the time. We just sat there on the stretcher and waited for a little bit. It was a little moment when we could take a break and not be in the public eye,” she recalled.
Connections to Yonkers
Witherspoon has roots in the Yonkers area. Her grandfather, William Boryk, attended Saunders High School, and her grandparents lived in Yonkers before moving to Florida when Witherspoon’s mother was a child. She said she thinks she got her concern for others from her grandparents.
The connection to Empress came through a cousin, Michael Kramer, who she had never met.
“My cousin called me out of the blue,” she said. “I had always kept in touch with my grandmother’s sister, my great aunt. One year, right around Christmas, we got a call from my cousin that my great aunt had passed away. We started talking. He used to be a firefighter, and now he works for Healey Parts.”
It turned out that Kramer knew Kyle Stevens, who is fleet director at Empress. They talked about her Foundation, and how it could use an ambulance. When he learned about it, Empress President Michael Minerva, Sr., agreed to donate one.
“That’s how it happened. It’s cool, and we’re so honored and wowed,” Witherspoon said, adding that she came to Yonkers to accept the donation in person, and then drove the ambulance back to Florida, a 1,285-mile trek.
She said the ambulance is currently in the body shop and should be ready to use next week. The repairs and parking expenses are being donated.
“The ambulance will help the Foundation fulfill its mission to support, honor and educate. We are excited to see the journey it will have in helping others,” she said.
“It is a pleasure to sponsor the For Paul Foundation,” Minerva said. “We appreciate all the great work they do to support first responders and their families.”
About Empress Emergency Medical Services
Empress, now a PatientCare EMS Solutions Company, has been operating in the greater New York Area since its inception in 1985. Empress is committed to providing state-of-the-art emergency medical services and quality after-care transportation with a focus on compassionate patient care. Its unparalleled reputation in Westchester and the Hudson Valley demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. Empress provides 911 emergency medical services to the City of Yonkers as well as mutual-aid response to neighboring communities. It also has emergency and non-emergency service contracts throughout Westchester County and the Hudson Valley with many municipalities, hospitals, correctional institutions, and private care. Empress’s parent company also operates emergency and non-emergency medical transportation organizations in Florida and South Dakota. For more information about Empress and PatientCare, visit empressems.com and patientcareems.com.
About the For Paul Foundation
The For Paul Foundation supports, honors, and provides education for first responders EMS, ambulance personnel, medical flight services and their families. They provide scholarships for individuals wishing to become EMTs, paramedics, or firefighters. The Foundation works to make sure needs are met for all EMS, first responders, and their families by providing support or advocating for them on the local and national level. Visit www.theforpaulfoundation.org to learn more.
