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
We had hoped that there would be enough EMT students from Hopewell, Union, and Pennington to justify another valley-only course like the highly successful course we held last fall, but there were not enough applicants. Click here to apply for the fall EMT course. Valley applicants will be given priority.
Each year the Knights of Columbus recognizes a Police Officer, Firefighter, and an EMT New Jersey who have demonstrated outstanding service to their community. This year the PFAS is proud to report that the EMT chosen was Daniel Boone, President of the PFAS, for his nearly 20 year devotion to the squad as President, prime instructor, regular crew chief, organizer of our EMT courses, and, not-incidentally, always in the top 5 or so responders with almost always over 100 calls per year.
New Jersey State Council Knights of Columbus Shield Award EMT of the Year awarded to Dan Boone in recognition of his leadership, outstanding service to the Community and genuine concern for his fellow man. Awarded May 13, 2011. Presented to Dan Boone by Bob Rushnak.
The PFAS is pleased to have been selected to be the Grand Marshal of this years's Memorial Day parade, largely based on Dan Boone winning the Knights of Columbus, NJ EMT of the year award.
PFAS executive officers Vice President Debbie Gorczycki, President (and Grand Marshal) Dan Boone, and Corresponding Secretary Linda Hlavacek.