Submitted by Berlin Central School Communications
“The younger generation is the future of the Fire and EMS Service, and without classes like Responding to Emergencies putting an interest out there, the numbers would continue to dwindle,” said Stephentown Fire Chief David Corlew.
In 2019 Berlin Middle High School Health and Physical Education teacher Ms. Sandra Honsinger piloted an elective course at BMHS called Responding to Emergencies.
“We need more community members who are First Aid, CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) certified.” said Ms. Honsinger back in 2019. “I wanted to marry the interests and create relationships between the students and the emergency responding volunteers in our community.
This year she did just that. Over the last couple of months her Responding to Emergencies students worked hard on planning a special informational meeting.
Responding to Emergencies students Ashton Evans, Camren Hoffman, Izabella Montanez, Jaelyn Goodermote and Alex Smith invited local fire department volunteers to talk to interested BMHS students about what volunteering means to them and their community. They discussed what inspired them to become part of their Fire Departments, the time commitment it takes to volunteer and how to get started.
The nine local volunteers ranged from emergency coordinators, support staff, firefighters, EMS and Rensselaer County’s Director of Public Safety. The guests included BCSD’s own Mr. Cyril Grant and Ms. Tammy Whitman, Berlin Fire Chief Stanley Pettibone, Grafton Fire Chief Jim Goyer, Stephentown Fire Chief David Corlew, Petersburgh Fire Chief Mark Murray, Rik McClave of Stephentown, Tom Flack of Petersburgh and Rensselaer County Director of Public Safety Mr. Jay Wilson.
Ms. Honsinger’s motivation for launching the elective two school years ago was to boost interest in emergency response volunteers and bringing real life experiences to the school as a way to inspire future volunteers. The informational meeting seemed to help with stimulating interest as Ms. Honsinger handed out volunteer sign-up forms to several students.
Each Responding to Emergencies course includes American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED training as well as three hours of community service. Students must be at least 16 years old to enroll in the course and to receive an American Red Cross certification by the end of the half-year elective.
Those who are interested in information about volunteering in Rensselaer County can contact a volunteer at their local firehouse or EMT station or email volunteer@rensco.com.
If you are interested in viewing the Responding to Emergencies informational meeting, find a recording on the Berlin Central School District’s website www.berlincentral.org.
