JACKSON (AP) — Two Mississippi paramedics will be presented the American Ambulance Association's Star of Life Award.

The award will be presented this week in Washington, D.C., to Stella McNeer of Laurel and Charles Wise of Gulfport. They will be among 100 paramedics to be honored.

McNeer works for American Medical Response in Jackson as operations supervisor and emergency medical dispatcher besides being a paramedic.

McNeer is now the longest tenured member of AMR's central Mississippi work force. She started as an ambulance driver in 1977.

Wise is the clinical and educational specialist, and safety and risk specialist for AMR's Gulfport division.

His career began while serving as an EMT with the Coast Guard.