Paramedic Ryan Rizen

While driving home from a shift at American Medical Response in Evansville, Indiana, Paramedic and Clinical Education Specialist Ryan Rizen came upon a serious motorcycle crash. With no medical equipment on hand, Rizen improvised with borrowed gloves and trauma shears and immediately began CPR on the critically injured victim. The patient survived. With more than 40 years of EMS experience, Rizen is also a mentor who trains the next generation of paramedics at AMR Evansville. In November 2025, he was honored with the Stars of Life Award — one of the highest distinctions in emergency medical services — at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C.