Harpur's Ferry

Harpur's Ferry Student Volunteer Ambulance Service is the ambulance service at Binghamton University.

Formed in 1973, Harpur's Ferry is staffed and run by approximately 150 students and university staff members who also volunteer their time as Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. In 2005, Harpur's Ferry was named New York State EMS Agency of the Year. [ [http://inside.binghamton.edu/news/newspage.cgi?issue=2005oct20&id=1 "Harpur's Ferry wins statewide honor"] , "Inside BU", October 20, 2005. ] It was also named agency of the year at the 2005-2006 National Collegiate EMS Conference. [ [http://inside.binghamton.edu/news/nn.cgi?issue=2006mar02 "Harpur’s Ferry receives national recognition"] , "Inside BU", March 2, 2006. ] In addition, Harpur's Ferry has placed first in the NCEMSF Advanced Life Support Skills Competition in every year that the competition has been held (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Harpur's Ferry is one of the very few collegiate EMS services that is Advanced Life Support (ALS) certified. Harpur's Ferry typically responds to 400 calls per semester both on and off campus, as well as to calls on campus during the summer session, totaling approximately 900 calls each year.

Membership

Harpur's Ferry accepts new volunteers at the beginning of every semester. New members who are not already New York State Certified at either a CFR, EMT, or AEMT level must then attend a semester-long EMS orientation course known as AFAEC (Advanced First Aid Emergency Care) that teaches them about the agency, and operating procedures within Broome County as well as basic first aid skills and prepares them for taking the New York State Basic Emergency Medical Technician course the following semester. Among the approximately 150 members are about 30 certified ambulance drivers and both Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support crew chiefs. All drivers and crew chiefs carry portable UHF radios that allow them to respond to calls when either there is no full, on-duty crew, comprising both a driver and a crew chief, in the squadroom to staff an ambulance, or the on-duty crew is already on another call.

Vehicles

Harpur's Ferry currently staffs two Ford and Wheeled Coach ALS ambulances, 7621 and 7622, and also has two "fly-cars". 7651, a Chevrolet Blazer, and 7652, a Ford Expedition. These two vehicles are both ALS and BLS capable and serve as utility vehicles and are also available for on-duty ambulance drivers and crew chiefs to use in order to respond to calls quickly. The spring 2006 semester saw Harpur's Ferry place into service a John Deere Gator all-terrain vehicle enabling quicker and more efficient responses to athletic fields as well as the sprawling Nature Preserve that occupies the southern part of the University's campus. Harpur's Ferry also placed into service a special operations trailer to transport the Gator and to serve as a command post for major emergency incidents that occur on campus in addition to concerts, festivals and other large public events that demand major EMS coverage.

Current Staff

Executive Director: Paul Meddaugh

Deputy Director: Noah Ginsberg

Operations Director: PJ Germano

Communications Coordinator: Mike Voorhees

Equipment Coordinator: Joseph Milano

Financial Coordinator: Aaron Silver

Personnel Coordinator: Colleen Cheverko

Public Relations Coordinator: Amy Berishiem

Training Coordinator: Sean Britton

Member At Large: Lindsay Holt

Past and Present Chiefs

2007-2008: Paul Meddaugh [Asst Chiefs: Jessica Martinez and Richard Blackley]

2006-2007: Darran Handshaw [Asst Chief: Andrew Von Deesten]

2005-2006: Ben Krakauer [Asst Chiefs: Josh Parsons and Keith Grossman]

2004: Sara Davanzo [Asst Chiefs: Josh Parsons and Ben Krakauer]

2003-2004: Brandon Leonard [Asst Chiefs: Bryan Prosek and Enoch Law]

2002-2003: Brandon Leonard [Asst Chiefs: Evan Spielberg and Enoch Law]

2001-2002: Andy Schacter [Asst Chiefs: Abe Lenderman and Marc Kanter]

2000-2001: Paul Paradiso

1999-2000: Patrick Scanlon

1998-1999: Jonathan Weiner

1996-1998: Bill Bodeker

1995-1996: Josh Gitlitz

1985-1986: Donna Schutta

1984-1985: Mark Flanzenbaum

1982-1983: David Glasser

1981-1982: Stephan Flynn

1980-1981: Matthew Goldstein

1979-1980: Paul Turner

1978-1979: Michael Smart

1977: R. Edelstein

1976: Donald Jones

1975: Rick Markello

References

External links

* [http://www.harpursferry.org/ Harpur's Ferry Student Volunteer Ambulance Service]