MADISON, WI — Today is marked as First Responder Appreciation Day. Patty Pesik was selected by State Representative Tara Johnson as the 2025 First Responder of the Year for the 96th Assembly District. In a special ceremony session, Patty Pesik and other first responders across Wisconsin were recognized for their sacrifices and dedication to serving their community. The ceremony closed with the Assembly unanimously passing a resolution to recognize October 14th, 2025 as First Responder Appreciation Day in Wisconsin.
Patty Pesik was nominated by the Mayor of the City of Hillsboro, Greg Kubarski, for her service as an EMT for the Hillsboro Area Ambulance Service. Patty has been an EMT for almost 50 years, and has continually strived to serve her community beyond her normal duties. She is known by her team as being kind and compassionate, going above to train other EMTs and showing up for her community. In Viroqua, Patty works with the Help End Abuse Response Team, also known as HEART, to be an on-call volunteer, showing up on scene with law enforcement to provide support and services to victims of domestic violence. Beyond that, Patty works as a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC), a role that requires various training sessions. As a PECC, Patty aims to collaborate with schools in her area to establish protocols that promote the best quality of care for children.
Representative Tara Johnson shared the following remarks:
“Patty and her long tenure as a volunteer first responder is a shining example of what is so great about our community. Not only has Patty’s service been outstanding, but she has also taught so many other first respondent EMTs. It was a true honor for me to reemphasize Patty today and acknowledge all she has given to Hillsboro and the entire 96th Assembly District.”
