GVEMS recognizes members and volunteers at annual banquet
Times Shamrock Photo/WENDY POST Junior Member Meghan Porter of Sayre is pictured with her parents, Bruce (Skip) Boatman and Amy Boatman, who are also GVEMS Members.
OWEGO, N.Y. - Close to 200 guests gathered Saturday night for the Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services (GVEMS) annual banquet. The event, held at the Treadway Inn in Owego, N.Y., recognized volunteers and members who achieved milestones in their service, and recognized several members for exemplary services they provided to the community throughout 2009.
GVEMS is a non-profit 501(c)3 service organization that provides primary 911 coverage to five municipalities in Pennsylvania, and surrounding municipalities in Barton, Waverly, Chemung and Van Etten in New York.
According to Pam Mott, executive director, GVEMS provides coverage over a 240 square mile region with 32 full-time employees, and approximately 50 volunteers. The volunteers, according to Mott, run the ambulance, operate the rescue truck, and provide services on the scuba team - a team that is trained to dive in waters to perform search and/or rescue.
Mott also noted that last year alone GVEMS answered 15,000 calls - 5,000 emergency, and 10,000 paratransit. And although the services of GVEMS are funded by subscribers to the service, as well as transport fees that are charged to insurance companies, the volunteers, members and community work as a team to keep this valuable lifesaving service available.
"Our theme this year is teamwork," said Mott. "It's a team effort to provide all this - and it's everyone to include the hospitals, the drivers, and the people we support. Teamwork is what resuscitates people."
To expound on the idea of teamwork, the banquet began with a discussion on the crucial aspects of character, ethics, motivation, and leadership as they apply to EMS personnel presented by Thad Gaebelein, a former army officer with a unique background of combat arms experience and education.
The guest speaker was followed by a presentation of awards to various members marking milestones for their time of service. Special Awards were also presented to life member and volunteer Joseph Morey of Waverly for 14 years of service, volunteer Cy Morris from Sayre for Transporter of the Year, Brian Van Fleet of Athens for EMT of the Year, Derrik Hall of Athens for Medic of the Year, Bryan Farr of Athens for rescue efforts, Marc Wilson of Ridgebury for scuba efforts, and junior member Meghan Porter of Sayre for her volunteer efforts.
Also recognized were three CPR Saves performed in 2009. According to Brad Wilson, GVEMS operations manager, out of 5,677 EMS calls, approximately 300 were cardiac related. Of those 300, Wilson noted, 25 required CPR. He further explained that of those 25 requiring CPR, three were saved.
Wilson explained that their response time, from dispatch to the patient's side is eight minutes, and when someone is in full cardiac arrest they have already experienced some brain death by the time the EMT's arrive. Wilson attributed the three saves to Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) that were on-site near the patient.
This percentage of survival, according to Wilson, is 12 percent - which is much higher than the average national percentage. "CPR saves, nationally, are about one or two percent," said Wilson. "We're pretty happy with 12 percent."
And 17-year-old Meghan Porter, who was recognized for her service as a Junior Member, gets to provide a service of her own. With well more than 300 hours of volunteer service to GVEMS, this Sayre High School senior has been spending her school breaks and summers assisting with the transport of non-emergency calls.
According to Porter, she assists with the transport of elderly patients from their home to the hospital for appointments. "I do it on snow days, I do it on my breaks, and I do it during the summer," said Porter. "I like doing it because I like helping people," she added.
Because she has put in well over 300 volunteer hours, Porter has also qualified to receive a $500 scholarship towards her continued education through GVEMS. Porter plans to attend Northern Tier Career Center where she will specialize in Cosmetology. With this education, Porter explained, she hopes to gain employment working with the elderly. "I would love to just go and help them with their hair or whatever they need," said Porter.
Porter was inspired to get involved in community services by her stepfather and mother, Bruce (Skip) Boatman and Amy Boatman. Both Skip and Amy Boatman provide services for GVEMS - Skip Boatman as a paramedic and Amy Boatman as an EMT.
"I have seen the work that they do," said Porter, "and I always felt like I wanted to help out." And although Porter isn't old enough to drive one of the vehicles, and has yet to respond to emergency calls, she makes sure that she gets her name on the schedule to volunteer any chance she gets.
To learn more about GVEMS, or how to subscribe and support their services, call (570) 888-6000.
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