Sterling was an undergrad at Hope College and had plans to go to medical school when he began volunteering as a firefighter and working part-time in ambulances to gain experience for medical school applications. This was when Sterling got "hooked" and decided to get his paramedic license.

His service that followed was recognized at the East Lansing City Council meeting on Aug. 4 when he was awarded the Tri-County Paramedic of the Year. 

Sterling has worked for the East Lansing Fire Department for three years. The award is presented every year by the Sparrow Hospital Emergency Department as part of its Emergency Medical Services week.

“I am humbled and I would like to emphasize that none of this was done alone, and I have always had other teammates with me at all points in time, so the rest of the department is also very responsible for this and anything else,” Sterling said after receiving the award.

John Dery, an emergency room doctor at Sparrow Hospital, and Anita Sukis, a safety training officer for the East Lansing Fire Department, presented the award. Dery said each year the emergency department asks its employees to help find an individual who gives an exemplary level of care one would want for family and friends. Interestingly enough, this scenario came to life.

Dery’s wife found herself in the care of Sterling when she suffered from a bilateral pulmonary embolism, or blood clots in her lungs. She was transported to Sparrow by Sterling and successfully treated by her husband. Dery said this presentation gave him the opportunity to thank “one of the best” for saving his wife.

“Compared to the awards that have gone before this, this just really stands on top and exemplifies the attitude that the City of East Lansing has with its employees with their exemplary service to the community," Sukis said. 

Sterling became a firefighter in 1999 and a paramedic in 2002. He is originally from Big Rapids, Mich. Sterling said he enjoys the dynamics and variety of his job. He said that there are some days he can't believe he is getting paid for his work and that some of his closet friends came from work experiences, but there are certain things make the job hard for Sterling.

"More often than not, most people, most of society, does not feel that something bad will happen to them," Sterling said. "My line of work is dealing when people have the worst day of their lives."

Typically, a firefighter paramedic for the East Lansing department works 24-hour shifts, one day on and the next two off, according to Sterling. The department deals with an average of eight emergency calls a day, each one lasting about an hour long.

Sterling said he isn't good at dealing with recognition and that the award was the result of consistent, coordinated team efforts.

"I feel like there's a lot other people that are more qualified or make a better impact than myself. I enjoy coming to work and try to do the best job possible, but there's plenty of other people that are as deserving if not more than me," he said. "I can't emphasis the fact enough that nothing is ever done by myself. Nothing on any scene is ever done whole-heartedly by any one person."

Sterling was hoping to keep under the radar and not make a big deal of the award, he said. But he said he later realized it could be utilized as a learning opportunity, as a testament to "leadership by example," for his EMS class that he teaches at Lansing Community College.

But, at the end of the day, Sterling said that being a firefighter paramedic comes with plenty of reward besides paramedic of the year. 

"When we are able to get pulses on somebody's dad, or able to get that kitchen fire put out before it ruins all of somebody's stuff and when we are able to fix problems, people don't expect that is the reward that makes the days that are hard all worth it," Sterling said.