Ambulance Looking for Few Good Men and Women

As an understaffed Ledyard Ambulance Association seeks new members, there is a powerful recruiting tool. “We make a positive difference in somebody’s life every day,” said Kathee Ivey, the association director. “Not everyone can say that.”

The association is seeking a few good men and women because it now has to be creative in filling gaps in its coverage. There are only 15 active members in a town that ideally would have 30 members, according to association officials.

The town employs two paid Emergency Medical Technicians, who work four 10-hour days per week. But weekends, overnights and evenings are covered entirely by volunteers.

Ivey said the staffing is spread thin and the association is fortunate to have a core of dedicated volunteers – even if there are too few of them.

In a recent interview, Ivey, along with assistant director Bob Scialabba and vehicle director Rick Mumenthaler, talked about the rewards of being an EMT or Medical Response Technician (MRT), while also pointing out that the job isn’t for everyone.

There is the matter of dealing with gruesome car crashes and injured or sick children. In a small community, volunteers also are caring for friends and neighbors. EMTs try not to become emotionally involved, but these three volunteers said that’s easier said than done. 

Because the job isn’t for everyone, officials suggest that prospective members ride on ambulances as observers before committing to hours of extensive training. For EMTs, training covers about 150 hours.

But for the volunteers who are well-suited, there are rewards aplenty.

“If you can make a real difference in one person’s life, you can’t put a dollar sign on that,” Ivey said.

Mumenthaler, who estimates he volunteers between 1,500 and 2,000 hours a year, said it takes a special kind of person to be a first responder. He said it’s important for an EMT to be relaxed when dealing with a stressed patient.

“I tell patients that they shouldn’t get excited until I get excited. I tell them that’s when they can get excited. And that’s why you try to keep your emotions under control,” he said.

Ivey said she also enjoys the work because she is a “adrenaline junkee,” and there are plenty of times when the pressure valve is turned way up.

It sometimes takes an innovative approach to deal with a situation,

Scialabba, for example, said volunteers recently had to figure out how to get a 400-pound man, who had collapsed on the second floor of his home, to the first floor, where there was an ambulance waiting.

Ivey said it’s important that residents understand that the association is separate from Ledyard’s two fire companies. She said people may see fire company personnel at an accident scene and wrongly assume an association ambulance is there as well.

The association is located at the Ledyard Center emergency services center and it covers both Ledyard Center and Gales Ferry. There are two ambulances.

Scialabba said Ledyard has to rely on backup from other ambulance groups about 20 percent of the time. The backup comes from Poquetanuck, Preston, the Submarine Base and Mystic River Ambulance.

Scialabba said 20 percent is more than the Ledyard association would like. 

"Think about it," said Emergency Services Director Sean McGuckin. "That means out of every 10 calls, two people have to wait for help from outside town. Would you want to be one of those two people?" 

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should contact Scialabba at 860-536-4728.