MEET THE TEAM
Thomas S Blackston Sr, CEO
Tommy is a 57 year old Savannah native. He is a graduate of Benedictine Military School and Trinity University. He brings 28 years emergency service experience to our company. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he served as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations. He began his career in emergency medicine as a firefighter first responder, later becoming a paramedic with experience in areas of national disaster response and management, 911 emergent response, IFT transport and emergency room care. Tommy is a father of 5 children and has a wife named Stephanie. he enjoys all things outdoors.
Pamela S. Cheek, COO
Pam is a 52 year old Savannah native. Pam began her career in 1994 as an EMT at Medstar Ambulance Service, later becoming a paramedic. Her career has included 911, IFT, ER clinical experience, as well as several supervisory positions. Pam was also an adjunct instructor and preceptor, educating and monitoring many of the EMS professionals and first responders in the community. During the course of her career she also completed fire school and served her community as a volunteer firefighter. Pam has 2 fabulous children. In her spare time she enjoys reading , kayaking, paddle boarding, and spending time with her friends and family.
Justin Maxwell (Left) & Joel Paskauskas (Right)
Justin Maxwell has been an accomplished EMT for over 10 years. As he grew up, he was surrounded by family with emergency medical experience, and it became the path that he saw as the best fit for him. Advocating for people who are unable to speak for themselves when they are in a time of need comes naturally as he aims to give superior care. Justin makes sure the patient comes first and that they are listened to and respected. In 2022, he became a father of a newborn and two pre-teens. He and his wife are raising three boys, and the older boys have already expressed interest in the medical field. Justin enjoys camping, cooking and spending time with family.
Joel Paskauskas is a seasoned paramedic with six years of experience in Fire and Emergency Medical Services. He recently joined Savannah Response Medics and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Throughout his career, Joel has served in various locations, from right here in Savannah to as far off as the Dutch West Indies.. He is a native of Savannah, having grown up in the area and graduating from Savannah Christian Preparatory School. In addition to his work as a paramedic, Joel is a senior biology major at Georgia Southern University and an active member of St. John's church in Savannah.
Amir Wind (Doc)
Amir Wind (doc as he prefers to be called) has served as Savannah Response Medic's Medical Director since the Company's inception. He attended Tulane University where he got his B.A. in Sociology and worked for New Orleans EMS (formerly NOHD-EMS) where he started as an EMT - Basic and was one of the graduates of their first paramedic class. He graduated from St. George's University Medical School and did his Family Practice residency at University of Florida's Jacksonville campus (a.k.a Shands). He spent his first 12 years in Family Practice, while also working as a hospitalist, urgent care physician and with hospice. He then worked in an emergency from for the next 12 years and then returned to Family Practice 2 years ago.
He has maintained his involvement in EMS, serving as Medical Director for Camden County EMS, Charlton County EMS and Jekyll Island Fire Department.
He was an Auxiliary Florida State Trooper for 12 years and has been a part-time Camden County Sheriff's Office Deputy for the past 5 years, where he also serves as their SWAT (ERT) physician.
He is fluent in English, Spanish and Hebrew. He loves cumba diving, studying various martial arts and traveling.
Talia
Talia was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. She moved to Savannah, GA in 2018 where she later received her B.S. in Psychology from Georgia Southern University in 2019. Shortly after graduating from college, she started her career in EMS. She got her Basic EMT at the end of 2019, Advanced EMT in February, 2020, and is now working on getter her Paramedic licensure. She had exposure to Israeli pre-hospital medicine when she volunteered with Magen David Adom (Israel's 911) in 2016. She continues to work part-time with Liberty County EMS and joined Savannah Medic Response this February 2023. Her ultimate goal is to obtain her PhD in Forensic Psychology and become an FBI agent and work in their behavioral analysis unit. She is multilingual (fluent in English, Spanish, Hebrew and Portuguese). On her off time she loves reading and traveling and is a superb baker.