Derek Hernandez, Emergency Medical Technician, Superior Air Ground Ambulance

Derek Hernandez is an Emergency Medical Technician (“EMT”) at Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service of Wisconsin. He started his EMS career at Superior in Illinois in March of 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, jumping right into the difficult situation of providing care to patients during this crisis. Right from the start, Derek used the skills he learned to the best of his ability to care for the patients he encountered using proper BSI precautions to prevent his own illness or bringing the virus home to his family.

Derek first worked out of Superior’s Evanston, Illinois until he bought a house in Racine, Wisconsin and transferred to the Vernon Hills Station to work 24-hour shifts and getting to know the nightlife of EMS. While working as an EMT throughout the Chicago land area, Waukegan and Kenosha areas caring for many patients, meeting many EMS colleagues, Derek left a positive impact by providing excellent customer service to these communities, where he also was a crew-member on ALS and CCT Nurse units, along with Superior’s dedicated Children’s CCT unit. He also received patients from rotor-wind air ambulance transports and has rendered patient care at accidents.

Soon after, Derek transferred to the Kenosha station where he gained EMS and inter-facility transport experience in the state of Wisconsin and worked 24-hour shifts permanently on ALS or CCT units. Derek is mindful of continuing to grow his skills set and maintaining his desire to care for patients. He became a Field Training Officer (“FTO”) to share his exciting experiences and the things he has learned about ambulance service with new EMT’s coming to Superior. He has trained at least 100 newly hired EMS professionals as an FTO or preceptor in Education, leaving a lasting impression on these individuals.

Presently, Derek works 12-hour shifts out of the Oak Creek station and also picks up more shifts all throughout Wisconsin. He considers it a pleasure and honor to work with so many wonderful people at Superior and enjoys participating in community events, even bringing an ambulance to the school where his wife works to show the kids that ambulance with the goal of making the experience inside the ambulance less frightening and more familiar for the children if they ever needed EMS. Derek was awarded as overall top performer at Superior Wisconsin and was able to share this achievement with his beautiful wife and his amazing son. Derek truly loves job as an EMT and loves working for Superior.

Derek was nominated by Superior leadership who observed him going above and beyond numerous time with assisting newly hired EMTs even though he was not an FTO at the time. His managers can recount times when he would go into great detail with employees, with his passion for the job evident, and his desire to set the employees up for success in their role as an EMT with Superior was clear. When he was told he was getting an award at Superior’s Symposium in February 2025, his eyes lit up and you can see the shock and excitement in his face. Derek can be counted on to provide the most professional, compassionate care to our patients.