The Pennington First Aid Squad is proud to have participated in an Operation HeadOn along with our neighboring squads and fire companies, The Pennington Fire Company, Union Fire and Rescue, The Hopewell Fire Department and Emergency Medical Unit, and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services. The contributions of NJ State Police, Wilson-Apple Funeral home, Daves Ringoes Sunoco were essential as were the acting skills of Hopewell Valley Central High students Catherine Dillingham, Simon Evans, Mariel del Castillo, Ben Granzow, and James Caulfield who played the victims of the crash.
Operation HeadOn is a drama staged by fire, police, and EMS to simulate a car crash caused by drunk driving. It is hoped that the event will be sobering for students on the eve of graduation. The local event was organized by Gavin Nelson, an EMS lieutenant at Union Fire and Rescue (and also a member of PFAS). Graduating seniors for Hopewell Valley Regional High School were led through the events of the crash from the first 911 call to the departure of the hearse with the simulated fatality wrapped in a body bag. Pictures of the event have been posted on this web site
Scenes from HeadOn
An EMT Refresher course has been scheduled at PFAS for Oct 13, 14, and 28 from 0800-1600 each day. We have attempted to reserve the version of the EMT refresher that is the transition course plus refresher (8 hr new material, 16 hour refresher). This version may not be ready in time for the course. If that happens, the course will be the A-M-T version in which old and new materials and skills are interleaved. To register go to www.lessstress.com. The course will be open to the public so sign up soon.
The course is now filled, but if you are late and are a member of a Hopewell valley squad you will be given preference (Pennington, Titusville, Hopewell). There is a waiting list for non-Hopewell valley applicants. Click here for the registration form. The course is free if you are a member of a volunteer first aid squad, so join now before you register for the course. The course schedule has now been posted.
The EMT Refresher course, which had been cancelled, has been rescheduled. Details here
After 17 years as President, Dan Boone decided to turn over the reins as did Vice President Gorczycki after a similar, long period of service. Our thanks for all their years of dedicated volunteering.
Front Row (left to right): Kirk Schmitt (Captain), June Guerard (Recording Secretary), Linda Hlavacek (Corresponding Secretary), Naomi McCarty (Treasurer)
Back Row (left to right): Jack Ferrara (Second Assistant Captain), Douglas Kabay (Vice President), Joel Orland (President), Dan Walker (Trustee), Neal Blackwell (Trustee), Jon Guerard (Trustee), John Muccioli (First Assistant Captain)
We are pleased to announce that the Pennington First Aid Squad has been chosen as the Outstanding Volunteer EMS Agency for the state of NJ. The Squad was chosen for its professionalism, call volume, and its dedication to volunteerism and EMS education. The award was presented at the 2011 Awards Dinner in Atlantic City as part of the 2011 New Jersey Statewide Conference on EMS. The award was accepted by Captain Kirk Schmitt.
We were also pleased that EMT Brendan Clune received the Outstanding Action by a Youth award for his actions to save the life of a swimmer who suffered a collapsed lung as the result of a deep dive. EMT Clune remained calm, assessed the patient, administered oxygen, and kept the apneic patient breathing for over 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived. EMT Clune expressed gratitude for the excellent training he received as an EMT in the classroom and in the field with the PFAS.
Although we did not win, were pleased to have been nominated for a significant number of other awards at the dinner including EMS Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award for Corresponding Secretary Linda Hlavacek and Captain Kirk Schmitt and Outstanding EMS Educator for EMT Juliana Aberger and EMT Gavin Nelson. We are pleased with our long standing association with our medical director Dr. Stephen Vetrano who was nominated for Outstanding EMS Physician, an award he won in 2008.
Kirk Schmitt, Captain PFAS, and Brendan Clune with awards for Outstanding Volunteer EMS Agency and Outstanding Action by a Youth