On Saturday, May 30, the people of Anderson and Madison County lost a life-saver, with the untimely passing of Dr. Fred Osborn. Those of us who work in the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) lost our first and best friend and mentor.

For over 22 years, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Fred, and from those first years, he was there. He served as one of the first medical directors of Madison County EMS and, with his colleagues at Saint John’s, took a fledgling and often disjointed EMS system and molded it into one of the best in the state. His patience, perseverance and insistence on competency and compassion enabled us to make this community a safer and healthier place in which to live. From the beginning, he believed that paramedics and EMTs could and should be valuable partners in the field of emergency medicine.

That attitude helped us make the transition from “ambulance drivers” to valued colleagues. He helped pave the way for us to be thought of as professionals. For that, and for many other reasons, we’re going to miss him greatly.

To Dr. Osborn’s family, I offer my heart-felt sympathy and ask that God may grant you peace as you mourn his loss.

One last thing, Dr. Fred, I won’t forget the aspirin!

Jon L. Smith, EMT-P

Anderson Fire Department