In the world of emergency response, showing up is everything. And for Raenelle Ealy, showing up isn’t just part of the job — it’s who she is.
A paramedic with nearly 28 years of service, Ealy’s roots run deep in Alger County, even though she now lives in Gaylord. Every week, she drives three hours north — through snowstorms, across the Mackinac Bridge, past deer and icy roads — to serve the community she grew up in. She typically works eight days a month, often logging 48-hour shifts.
“Think about it,” Ealy said. “We give away 12 hours of a paycheck for $3 per hour. That’s our volunteer time. I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the people.”
“Raenelle could work anywhere,” said Santina Waldron, her supervisor at Alger County EMS. “She never calls off — not for snow, not for distance, not for anything. She even lets the crew know when she’s already in town the night before, just in case something comes up. That’s rare.”
Her commitment to clinical excellence is well known across the region. Alger County Undersheriff Steve Blank, who went through EMT training with Ealy in the late 1990s, calls her a force of nature.
“She’s just phenomenal,” he said. “She’s direct. She’s smart. And if she sees a better way to do something, you’re going to hear about it — in the best way possible.”
Ealy sets high standards but steps in with guidance when needed. She leads with quiet authority, a sharp mind and a patient-first approach that leaves no room for ego.
But her impact stretches far beyond the back of the ambulance.
In February, 83-year-old John Trzeciak suffered a stroke. Ealy rode with him as he was transferred from Munising Memorial Hospital to UP Health System– Marquette. He remembered her presence clearly, saying the conversation made him feel like he had a friend in the rig.
For Ealy, that kind of connection is core to the job.
“Ninety percent of our job is just talking to people,” she said. “Getting them comfortable. Making them feel safe. The other 10 percent is the medical side of it. If you can’t treat someone’s grandma like your own, you’re in the wrong job.”
That kind of care isn’t a one-off. It’s her standard.
Ealy often circles back after a shift, sometimes returning in her own vehicle to help a patient get home. She checks in long after the sirens fade. She shows up early, just in case. She offers more than care — she offers presence and compassion in a job that rarely makes room for either.
Her sister, Danielle Beverly, sees it as more than dedication — it’s purpose.
“Raenelle never really takes the uniform off,” Beverly said. “She’s always thinking about how she can help. This isn’t just a job to her. It’s a part of who she is.”
Beverly recalls her sister’s childhood knack for helping — babysitting, caring for neighbors, stepping up when others stepped back.
“Once she found EMS, that was it,” she said. “She’s never looked back.”
That sense of purpose runs deep. Her father, Bob Tiernan, served more than 30 years in the Munising Fire Department. Her late mother, Suzette Tiernan, was a beloved LPN at Munising Memorial Hospital and also worked in local daycare. She passed away in January 2017.
Ealy credits both parents with instilling a spirit of caregiving that shaped her path.
“My mom made me promise to look after my dad,” Ealy said. “And these are my people. I’m finishing my career here.”
That legacy continues in her own family. Her husband, Mike, is a state trooper whom Ealy calls her teammate in every sense.
“We figured it out when our family began,” she said. “He worked midnights; I took the ambulance calls. We never did daycare. We just made it work.”
Ealy credits their strong partnership for making her career possible. From sacrificing sleep to swapping schedules, they’ve always supported each other without hesitation.
“He’s always been 110 percent behind me,” she said. “We’re in it together.”
Their daughter Emma is a registered nurse; Mikayla is applying to vet school and recently joined her local fire department; and their son, Lucas, is studying hospital administration.
“My heart’s gotten me this far in my career,” Ealy said. “You can teach someone to do CPR. But if you can’t talk to people? If you can’t make them feel safe on the worst day of their life? Then you shouldn’t be here.”
Mike and Sue Nettleton, retired EMTs and longtime friends and mentors from Ealy’s early EMS years, remember watching her grow into her role.
“She didn’t always have the confidence at first,” Sue said. “But once she trusted herself, she just soared.”
Mike recalled training shifts when Ealy, still early in her career, had to make tough calls.
“I told her, ‘You’re the paramedic now. You know what to do.’ And she did. From there on,” he said, “she didn’t need anyone to tell her twice.”
They both admire her continued commitment to the community.
When not in uniform, Ealy is still moving — walking her dog on the trails behind her home, hitting the gym or riding her Peloton to process the emotional weight that comes with the work. Because the work does weigh heavy. In a small town, the person you’re responding to isn’t a stranger. For her, it might be someone she went to school with, someone she served lunch to at the Dogpatch or was her customer at Noties News, someone whose kids she once babysat.
And Ealy carries that weight with grace.
When she learned she was the first recipient of the Roam for Good Award, her initial reaction was disbelief.
“This isn’t me,” she told her son. But his response stuck with her: Be proud of it.
Her voice softened. “I’m incredibly honored,” she said. “But if someone tells me their ride went easier because I made them feel safe — that’s enough. That means I did what I was supposed to do.”
She’s part of a rare breed — those who stick around, who dig in, who drive through the night for the people and places they love. Her story isn’t flashy. It’s not loud. But it’s exactly what this column was created to celebrate.
Raenelle Ealy is the first recipient of the Roam for Good Award. And in every way that matters, she earned it.
Looking ahead:
April’s Roam for Good column will honor those who protect the place we call home. From cleanup crews to conservationists, we’ll celebrate advocates doing the quiet, critical work of caring for our land and water during Earth Month.
