During the month of March there were 20 calls for the Helderberg Ambulance squad. The majority of the calls were illness related and were mostly Basic Life Support calls.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we are still meeting on the second Thursday of every month via Zoom.

On March 25, the ambulance squad honored Jerry O’Malley for 45 years of service as a driver. Jerry was presented with a 45-year pin and Fran, his wife, was presented with a bouquet of flowers. Thank you, Jerry and Fran, for your years of service.

Each year, the members of the squad nominate individuals who have gone above and beyond in their duties as volunteers. This year, the members nominated three people for Persons of the Year for 2020.

The first person nominated was Captain Neal Hogan. Neal was nominated for his administrative skills, his desire to keep the members of the squad up to date on the latest medical issues, and his love of the community.

The second person nominated was Tyler Jones. Tyler is a new member to the squad and is young and strong. Tyler is our “powerhouse” for lifting and transporting patients. Tyler works full-time and he still manages to be on duty each week. 

The third person nominated was Millie Zuk. Millie did over 200 calls last year, which has never been accomplished by anyone else in the squad. She also is secretary, sunshine chairperson, does the monthly scheduling, and writes articles for The Altamont Enterprise. Millie also serves as a mentor to the new EMTs. 

The squad also recognized two individuals for their work.

The first was Dave Harnett who is an active driver, driving instructor, and also in charge of the maintenance of the ambulances. Dave was also instrumental in setting up the cascade system at the Knox station. The cascade system is used to refill the oxygen bottles. 

Sharon Humes was also recognized for the endless hours she spends at the station doing the statistical work required by New York State and Medicare.

There were four members who were in the 100s Club. These members did over 100 calls. The first person was Gerry Cross who had a total of 104 calls and 228 volunteer hours; the second person was Dave Harnett, who had a total of 161 calls and 295 volunteer hours; the third person was Neal Hogan who had 171 calls and 178 volunteer hours; and Ray Schimmer was the fourth, with a total of 198 calls and 478 volunteer hours.

In the 200s Club was Millie Zuk who had 201 calls and 511 volunteer hours.

The past officers were also recognized. Chuck Feldmann was recognized for being a member of the board of directors, Krista Safford is a past lieutenant, Tom McQuade is a past Lieutenant, and Deb Flagler  is the past quartermaster.

These members have been recognized for their service to Helderberg Ambulance Squad. As the saying goes: It takes a community to raise a child, so it takes many members to run an ambulance squad. Thank you to all the members of the squad for their dedication and their desire to volunteer.

Last year, the members responded to 470 calls and logged in over 13,000 volunteer hours.

Join us

At the last meeting, it was noted that over 60 percent of the calls were answered by five members. The average age is 70.

We are looking for new members who will help keep the squad active in the future. As you know, several of the neighboring ambulance squads have gone from volunteer to paid.

The members of Helderberg Ambulance would like to see the squad continue as a volunteer service. We need your help. We are looking for volunteers of all ages especially those people who have just recently retired and are looking for new opportunities.

The majority of the calls are between six in the morning and six in the evening, so we need people who have free time during the day. We are looking for people who would like to be drivers, attendants, and emergency medical technicians.

If you are interested, the next monthly meeting is Thursday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the station located on Cole Hill Road in East Berne. 

Enjoy the spring weather, stay safe, and wear a mask.