by Janine Annett
Hastings-on-Hudson – This year marks the 50th anniversary of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week, which celebrates EMS professionals and the important work they do in our nation's communities. In Hastings, the Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps is staffed entirely by volunteers, who dedicate their time and efforts to keeping the town safe.
According to Lt. Ernest Ostro, who serves as the ambulance corps statistician in addition to his other duties, in 2023 there were 497 calls to 911 that required EMS in Hastings-on-Hudson. There were also an additional 46 calls for service for our neighboring communities. Hastings-on-Hudson was able to respond to more than 90% of the calls to its primary service area.
Having the Hastings ambulance corps be entirely staffed by volunteers has many benefits in addition to the money it saves the village. Yaron Cohen, First Lieutenant of the Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps, has lived in Hastings with his family for the past five years and was a volunteer EMT in Queens before moving to Hastings. Cohen said the volunteer ambulance corps members have “the same EMS training or more than some who are paid. Hastings EMS personnel also bring knowledge and expertise from all the different professions and careers they have outside of volunteerism. That can make a great impact on the quality of service we provide to our neighbors.”
As for the training required, Cohen said, “Any prospective Ambulance Corps member must first join the Fire Department. They will have one year after joining to become a NYS Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B). During that period, a trainee can ride along with the regular EMS crew, on ambulance calls, to observe the clinical and operational aspects of their training. This provides an exciting and extremely rewarding avenue to connect what is learned in the classroom with what happens in the field”.
The ambulance corps provides 24/7 coverage for the village and is the primary 911 responding agency for the village. The Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps also provides – and receives – mutual aid for and from neighboring communities including Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Ardsley, and occasionally other surrounding towns.
The Rivertowns Current asked Cohen about a longstanding rumor that if you’re in Hastings and experiencing a medical emergency that you should call the police station rather than 9-1-1 because the call to 9-1-1 pings off a tower in New Jersey. He immediately debunked the rumor. “I would say that's completely false. If you're having an emergency, you should call 9-1-1. If you try calling the police desk first, you might delay the response.” He added, “In the past, our police department was responsible for dispatching the ambulances. That's no longer the case. Calls are dispatched by the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services. They are the information hub for fire and EMS for us.”
As for the types of calls they answer, Cohen says, “We respond to a plethora of call types ranging from motor vehicle collisions to injuries from falls. Many calls are from our elderly community, who rely on us to assess and transport them to the appropriate facility. Other calls might be a stroke, heart attack, drug overdose, anxiety, or difficulty breathing. Anything that could possibly happen, we are trained and ready.”
Hastings EMS workers take people to many hospitals in the region, including St. John's in Yonkers and Dobbs Ferry, Westchester Medical Center (for the highest level emergency cases), Northwell, Phelps, New York Presbyterian Lawrence, and others.
“Our greatest need right now is for volunteers,” said Cohen. “Many people might wonder if and how this type of service can fit into their lives and schedules. It’s certainly not for everyone, but for some, opening that door begins a profound part of their lives that impacts the lives of many. All it takes is that first step, to inquire and schedule an interview.”
As for the sometimes controversial fire alarm in Hastings, Cohen said it’s part of a system of ways in which the firefighters and EMS workers are alerted to situations. The volunteer firefighters and EMS workers have pagers, text messages, smartphone apps, and the fire alarm to alert them to incoming calls.
“Our job as EMTs is to make sure that we keep people alive. If your heart stops, we will do compressions. If you're not breathing, we will do ventilations. If you need certain medications, we administer those medications. The most important role that we have is to very quickly and accurately assess what is the problem and to then take the appropriate action, including communicating what's going on appropriately to the next link in the chain. We get you to the right facility and communicate about what's going on, so that they can save time in figuring out what they should be doing. This is particularly important in cases where someone is having a real life-threatening emergency such as a heart attack, or a stroke.”
The Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps has received numerous awards. In 2023, two Hastings-on-Hudson residents’ lives were saved due to the heroic actions of local first responders during two separate incidents.The Westchester County Regional EMS Council presented Lifesaving Awards on May 21 to Thomas Gunther, Brandon King, Cathy Gunther, Mike Usher, Ernest Ostro, Sabine Reichart, Sean Gunther, Norman Vanemee, David Chen, Edward Fattorini, Stephanie Minor, Mike O’Toole, Michael Guarino, Yaron Cohen, Alan Golds, and Jennifer Lee.
The current members of the Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps include:
Officers:
Captain - Mike O'Toole *
1st Lieut. - Yaron Cohen*
2nd Lieut. - Ernest Ostro *
Administrative Officers:
Chairperson - Cyndy Travis *
Secretary - Sashi Nivarthi *
Treasurer - Ellen Golds *
Sgt. at Arms - Celia Paerels *
Active Members:
Ricky Berman *
Marcel Bucsescu *
Nicholas Callas
Jun Cohen *
Chris Duda
Andreas Fell *
Nick Frascone
Alan Golds
Cathy Gunther *
Michael Gunther
Sean Gunther
Thomas Gunther
Ed Herbstman *
Mitch Koch *
Jenny Lee *
John Lindner
Sabine Reichert *
Jennifer Schelker *
Brian Schnibbe
Francesco Scioscia *
Andrew Sherman
Amy Tilipko *
Brian Usher *
* = Emergency Medical Technician
To learn more about the Hastings-on-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance Corps, visit https://www.hastingsonhudsonfd.org/content/ambulance/.
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