KEMTA - Kansas Emergency Medical Technicians Association
It is with great sadness that I write of the passing of our friend Robert Orth. Bob passed away on June 18, 2005 at St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City, Kansas.
Bob started his EMS career in 1978. EMS in Sublette was just getting organized. At that time if you needed an ambulance, you called the Drug Store and the Pharmacist got whoever was sitting in a booth drinking a coke to go help him Bob stopped in regularly for a coke, so he was recruited. He also spent time with our local physician at the hospital, always eager to help out and use the opportunity to learn. Bob then attended class to become an instructor and taught his first class in 1980. He was excited about EMS and always eager to share what he knew. He was full of encouragement for students and new techs. When we asked him why he put so much time and effort into EMS, he told us " Because sometimes you get to make a difference." Many people across the state have had him for an instructor at some level. I remember he would sometimes go up to Phillipsburg and do Medic First Aid classes for Jane. When asked about it he would respond that she needed someone to teach the classes and he really didn't mind. He was always willing to go the extra mile to help anyone in his EMS family. David Lake could call and need support at a committee meeting in Topeka, and Bob would be there.
Bob has served on many committees and Task forces for the Kansas EMS. I have been very spoiled. If I needed to know anything about EMS I could just call Bob and he knew the answer, I didn't have to go look it up. I think he probably had forgotten more about EMS than I will ever know. He always just took care of things. Reports, paper work, mailing labels for KEMTA, schedules all seem to have just appeared, all completed and ready to use. I don't think our service, community, or organizations fully knew what he just did behind the scene. It really bothered him the last few years that he couldn't do things as well as before. He enjoyed so much those he visited with outside at the dance at KEMTA this year. It took so much effort for him to just be there.
I believe we should not think of the bad times, the times we disagreed, just the good times we shared. I will always remember his laugh, encouragement, wit, and the way he touched us some way in the heart. May we also live our lives knowing that sometimes we too can make a difference in someone's life.
