Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined with the City’s Emergency Medical Services Commission (EMSC) at their regular meeting yesterday to wish two Commissioners – Executive Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness Robert “Bob” Hassett and Dr. John Santoro – a very happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement. Mayor Sarno presented both Dr. Santoro and Mr. Hassett with proclamations and joined their fellow EMSC members in thanking them for their years of dedicated service to our Springfield.
Bob Hassett proudly served our country for many years before joining the City of Springfield in 2004 as the Assistant Emergency Manager and Metropolitan Medical Response System Planner. He went on to become the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness in addition to serving on the EMSC. With his extensive knowledge and experience in the Emergency Preparedness field, Bob has been a key figure in leading the City through a number of natural and man-made disasters.
Dr. John Santoro, who is a Doctor of Emergency Medicine at Baystate Medical Center as well as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, has served on the City's Emergency Medical Services Commission as chairperson for forty years. In addition to his work with the EMSC, Dr. Santoro has had a long and impressive career practicing emergency and family medicine at Baystate.
Mayor Sarno stated, “First, I want to wish Bob and Dr. Santoro good health, and also thank them for their true dedication to our city. They have helped us get through a number of emergency situations including the June 1st tornado ten years ago, and the freak October Nor’easter that followed. Bob – or as I call him ‘Mr. Emergency’ is a tested and true professional and has been sincerely dedicated to our Springfield. Thank you, Bob for your service to our country and our city. Along with thanking Dr. Santoro for his excellent contributions to our Emergency Medical Services Commission, I am forever grateful to him for the compassion he showed my mother when she was a patient at Baystate, and as I know he has shown countless other families.”
