COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – LifeCare Ambulance has named Senior Paramedic Julianna Votava as a recipient of the 2026 Star of Life Award from the American Ambulance Association for her exceptional service and dedication.
Votava, who began as an EMT in 2021 and became a Field Training Officer in 2025, was specifically recognized for her leadership in mentoring staff and developing monthly training programs.
A defining moment in her career occurred during the March Union City tornado in Branch County, where she and her partner were the first to arrive at a destroyed neighborhood.
Votava immediately called for an escalated response, established scene command, search and rescue, triage, and then coordinated patient transports.
She will be recognized alongside her peers at the national Stars of Life celebration in Washington, D.C., next month.
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