MONROE, La. – Kerri Avara bakes Christmas cookies for her fellow paramedics every year. She takes the time to comfort others after particularly difficult calls, making rounds at headquarters to ensure everyone is ok.
Her coworkers call her “Mama Kiki” for the way she cares for them.
On Saturday, Avara, 52, was named East Baton Rouge’s Emergency Medical Services paramedic of the year for the kindness and devotion she has shown in her 17 years of service.
“I work with the most incredible people that you’d ever get to meet,” said Avara. “They’re all my family. We’re a big, loving, dysfunctional family that will go to bat for each other. They’ve been my source of inspiration to come to work every day.”
Avara knew from childhood that she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field after watching the show Emergency! for years. But as a lover of travel and the outdoors, working in a hospital didn’t seem to fit her interests.
It wasn’t until she took a first responder class that she knew EMS was her calling. Since becoming a paramedic, she has worked as a unit commander to train new staff and as a Critical Incident Stress Management leader, where she focuses on comforting other paramedics after traumatic experiences.
Mike Chustz, the EMS spokesperson, said he sees Avara almost every day at work and she’s one of the kindest people he works with. He said her attitude is what sets her apart as paramedic of the year — she’s always willing to help out anyone on staff.
“I’m ecstatic for her,” said Chustz. “I think she’s very well deserving of the award. I’m proud of her, and I hope she’s as excited about it as I am.”Chustz recalled responding to a shooting with multiple injuries and fatalities with Avara a few years ago. He said Avara checked on every single person that responded to the call, going from office to office making sure they were all okay.
“I think people have the misconception that paramedics get used to seeing things like that, and you really don’t,” said Chustz. “Having somebody there to talk to really helps a lot. She’s just a great person.”
Avara has empathy not only for her fellow coworkers, but for the community she serves as well. She said she once helped an 18-year-old man who broke his neck while wrestling with friends; he was the same age as her son at the time.
The family was told at first he would be paralyzed as a result. But when Avara went to visit him at the hospital the next day, the doctor said he would walk by graduation. She said she and the man’s mother cried together with joy.
“Those parallels really hit home with me,” said Avara. “And that was probably one of the hardest calls of my life. We have those little moments like that that encourage us to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Avara also works as the first chaplain for EMS, helped create a pastoral department at EMS, and has been on a member of the Honor Guard for 10 years.
Along with Avara, 911 operator Tammy Cook was awarded Communicator of the Year during Saturday’s banquet.
“My goal in this career is to leave a legacy of caring and compassion for not only the community, but for my coworkers,” said Avara. “They are my family. I spend just as much time with them as I do my own family. We’ve had a lot of trying times together, but we’ve overcome it and stuck together.”
