VAN BUREN, Maine — When Gloria Ouellette isn’t working for the town’s ambulance, she’s detailing cars on the side or helping people in need. Ouellette will turn 74 in October, and she has no plans to slow down.
Earlier this month, Maine EMS presented Ouellette with a lifetime achievement award for serving the town’s ambulance for over four decades and for frequently going above and beyond for the people in her community.
Ouellette said that while it is an honor to receive this award, that’s not why she got into this line of work. She said none of the ambulance’s work would be possible without the entire crew.
“I do this because I love it,” Ouellette said. “I always like to help people, but we don’t do this alone; we’re a team.”
Crew Chief Amy Dionne nominated Ouellette earlier this year. She said Ouellette has also helped fellow employees outside of work in situations like when they’re moving to a new home. She said the crew also calls Ouellette “Meals on Wheels,” because she often delivers meals to senior citizens during the holidays.
“She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it,” Dionne said.
Ouellette first joined the crew in 1981. Dionne said she moved from Green River in Canada and married in Van Buren. The ambulance service was short-staffed at the time, and Ouellette first wore a pager as part of the job.
She would stay close to her phone in case the pager went off, and at first was paid $3 an hour any time she went out on a call.
“That’s how I started, then I took the EMS course and kept going,” she said. “And it’s a passion. You love what you’re doing. Sometimes it’s scary, you see a lot of things, and not everyone can handle it. But I’m lucky.”
Ouellette said the town is lucky that it has an ambulance service. This, she said, can be attributed to how well everyone works together. The town’s ambulance service also covers surrounding communities like Cyr Plantation, Hamlin, and the nearby lake communities.
Dionne nominated Ouellette earlier this year. Ouellette found out before Dionne that she would be getting the award, but didn’t believe it at first. She received an email from the EMS but said she didn’t respond because she thought it was a scam.
With the ceremony less than a week away, Ouellette asked Dionne if the award was legitimate while they were out washing the rigs. Dionne said that Ouellette is humble and does not like recognition or the spotlight, but that they eventually convinced her to travel to Augusta for the May 21 Maine EMS ceremony.
Ouellette was joined by family and colleagues during the ceremony. And during the ceremony, Ouellette again emphasized that her colleagues Dionne and Amanda Skidgel, the department’s two full-time employees, are just as deserving of the honor.
Dionne said it is this humility and dedication that make Ouellette so deserving of the achievement.
“Everybody knows [Ouellette] in Van Buren,” Dionne said. “And there is not one bad word that you would hear about her.”
