06/08/2026
Employee Spotlight: Mike "The hurricane" Winne 🚑
Mike has been in EMS longer than most of our employees have been alive, and his experience shows in everything he does.
He is constantly teaching, guiding, and helping new EMTs and medics grow in their careers. On intense calls, everyone knows it’s go-time when Mike flips his hat backwards — earning him the nickname “Hurricane” from everyone who knows and loves him.
Thank you, Mike, for your dedication, leadership, and the lasting impact you continue to make in EMS.
"I STARTED MY EMS CAREER IN JULY 1979 IN MAPLE SPRINGS VFD AND JOINED BEMUS POINT IN 1983- I WAS HIRED AT ALSTAR IN APRIL OF 1991,AND BECAME A CREW CHIEF/FIELD SUPERVISOR IN SEPT OF 1998..I HAVE BEEN WITH ALSTAR NOW FOR 35 YEARS.. I SPENT 20 YEARS TEACHING EMT CLASSES AT JCC WITH RON HASSON AND MADE A LOT OF NEW EMS FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY-- I AM MARRIED 20 YEARS TO MY FABULOUS WIFE,SHERI, WHO JUST RETIRED FROM UPMC IN APRIL 2026.. I HAVE 2 BOYS,AND 3 STEP CHILDREN,AND 5 GRANDCHILDEN—
IN OUR OFF TIME WE ENJOY CAMPING,AND WORKING AROUND THE HOUSE.
I HAVE BEEN IN EMS FOR SO MANY YEARS,IT HAS BEEN CRAZY TO SEE HOW MUCH EMS HAS EVOLVED FROM MY DAYS OF "JOHNNIE AND ROY" WHERE I STARTED---IN THE FALL OF 1983 I HAD TAKEN MY BASIC EMT COURSE AT JCC WITH EMT INSTRUCTORS TOMMY DORMAN AND GREG PATERNITI. WHAT A BLAST THAT WAS—I HAD LEARNED SO MUCH FROM WATCHING TV AND THEN TAKING THE EMT CLASS ,I THOUGHT I WAS READY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IS SCARED TO DEATH..
I HAD PLAYED AROUND WITH EMS FOR A WHILE TO SEE WHERE IT TAKES ME-I HAD DECIDED TO REFRESH MY EMT IN THE FALL OF1985 WITH RON HASSON AT JCC. A LITTLE WHILE AFTERWARDS, I BECAME A CLI AND THEN A CIC IN 1994 AND WAS TEACHING MY OWN EMT BASIC REFRESHER CLASS AT JCC UP TO 2013--I AM STILL CURRENTLY WORKING AS A FULL TIME PARAMEDIC AT ALSTAR AND LOVE IT. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING,AMAZING AND EDUCATIONAL CAREER BETWEEN WORKING AT ALSTAR FOR 35 YEARS ,SPENDING MY TIME AS SENIOR PARAMEDIC IN THE BEMUS POINT FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR 43 YEARS , A FIRE CHIEF FOR 11 YEARS AND IN THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 47 YEARS--AND NOW A LIFE MEMBER.
I HAVE SEEN ALOT AND DONE ALOT OVER 48 YEARS, I STILL WONDER HOW I DONE IT. JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE SEEN IT ALL,YOU SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT..YOU ARE ALWAYS LEARNING IN THIS FIELD EVERY DAY—TO ALL THE NEW EMTS/PARAMEDICS COMING INTO THIS FIELD,REMEMBER YOUR ORIGINAL EMT CLASS WAS JUST A STEPPING STONE INTO THIS FIELD—YOUR CLASSROOM NOW IS IN THE BACK OF THAT AMBULANCE WITH REAL LIVE PATIENT'S IN NEED OF YOUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE..
I HAVE MANAGED TO BE THE "OLD GUY" NOW, AND I'M STILL TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE YOUNGER AND NEW GENERATION OF EMS PROVIDERS AND STILL TEACHING THE NEWER EMTS SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME I COME TO WORK—I ALWAYS SAY ," IT WORKED IN THE 80'S AND 90'S AND STILL WORKS TODAY"'.
OVER THE YEARS I HAVE SEEN AND HELPED MANY FOLKS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED,WEATHER IT WAS AT 300 IN THE MORNING OR IN THE COLD DEAD OF WINTER—
I HOPED TO HAVE BEEN A GOOD INFLUENCE ON A LOT OF FOLKS DURING MY TIME AS A TEACHER, FTO,EMT,SUPERVISOR,PARAMEDIC,911 DISPATCHER AND JUST A FRIEND..
MY EARLY PLANS TO RETIRE THIS YEAR HAVE CHANGED AND I WILL PROBABLY STICK AROUND FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO—UNTIL THEN KEEP ON SAVING LIVES ONE CALL AT A TIME AND NEVER STOP LEARNING..""
