04/21/2021 05:43:12 PMGeorge W. Hatch Jr. was just a freshman in high school when his father fell 40 feet painting the roof of their home. His grandmother’s car was the only thing that broke the fall. Hatch recalls watching helplessly as a neighbor and passerby tended to his father’s life-threatening injuries before the ambulance arrived. Although his father survived, he spent 18 days in a coma in the intensive care unit. The scare inspired Hatch to dedicate his life to emergency medical services. With more than four decades in the profession, he currently serves as executive director of the organization that accredits EMS paramedic educational programs around the country. For his trailblazing leadership, Hatch earned a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Houston College of Education.