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The KAA’s “Invaluable” Haagas: “We Might Not Exist Without Them”

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When the Killingworth Ambulance Association held its annual dinner last month, speeches were made, local dignitaries introduced, board members recognized and the most active EMTs acknowledged. In other words, it was business as usual, except … well, except there was something that two of its prominent members didn’t expect.

Mike and Marguerite Haaga were asked to step forward.

Now, if you know either, public recognition is not what the husband-and-wife team seek. In fact, it’s precisely what they try to avoid. But they didn’t have a choice when KAA president Dan O’Sullivan asked them to join Killingworth First Selectman Eric Couture at the front of the room for a presentation not included on the evening’s itinerary.

“It was kinda weird,” Mike admitted later. “I put together the list of events that evening, and there was nothing on there about us. Surprised? Definitely.”

Imagine how they felt, then, when those who there stood to applaud as Couture read a proclamation honoring the Haagas for nearly three decades of service with the KAA. Mike is its Chief of Service, Marguerite its vice president. Together, they are its most senior members and among its most active participants doing … frankly, just about everything.

They’re EMTs. They’re paramedics. They teach the annual EMT course in town. They teach CPR classes. They teach a variety of classes in and around Bridgeport, including pre-hospital trauma life support, advanced cardiac and pediatric life support, and participate in Continuing Medical Education classes. They also host monthly EMT training meetings at the KAA building on Route 81.

In short, they’re busy. But they’re also nearing retirement. Not now. Not next year. But sometime in 2026, with plans calling for them to move away. In the meantime, they intend to teach at least one more EMT course in Killingworth because … well, because that’s what they do.

They teach, and they teach effectively.

“IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN”

Former student Matt Albrecht – who grew up in Killingworth, passed the EMT course and now lives in Maine – can testify to their impact on students. He once proctored a paramedic exam at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland when he realized something unusual about a group of out-of-state participants who had driven there to take the test.

Their depth of knowledge was extraordinary.

“They were in a league of their own,” he said. “They came there confident, knowing all the right medications and dosages. So I finally asked them where they were taught, and they told me it was Connecticut. Then I asked them who their instructors were, and they said, ‘Mike and Marguerite Haaga.’ I said, ‘OK. You pass. You’re all set. I know you know what you’re doing.’ “

Mike and Marguerite Haaga moved to Killingworth in 1994 and joined the KAA three years later at the invitation of then-Chief of Service Brian Mahoney. By 2000, they were conducting EMT and CPR classes and, eventually, waded so deep into volunteering that were doing more than saving lives; they were changing them.

By Mike Haaga’s estimation, he and his wife certified over 300 CPR students and taught over 200 techs in Killingworth, including Albrecht and 18 of the 20 active EMTs active with the KAA today. One of them is O’Sullivan, the KAA’s leading responder who’s completed over 200 ambulance runs each of the past four years. He’s also one of three board presidents taught as EMTs by the Haagas (Pat Miller and Sheila Ahearn are the others).

“The thing they drill into students is to always be hands-on with the patient,” said O’Sullivan. “Basically to manage the patient and not the monitors. Look at the whole picture and address the patient, not just the readings’ “

They currently conduct an EMT class that includes four students, three of whom are teens, and that runs from August through mid-December. Classes meet twice a week – with two four hour sessions on Mondays and Thursday evenings, as well as five eight-hour Saturdays. In total, the course encompasses 160 hours of instruction, with students pushed through hundreds of pages of study, bullet points, weekly quizzes and Saturday “practicals” – or hands-on training.

It’s an exhausting schedule, but complaining is not on the syllabus.

“VOLUNTEERISM IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DO”

“Look,” said Mike, “as a paramedic I feel it’s part of my job to teach. We do it as a public service. Serving the community is why we do this. We don’t do it for the recognition. Volunteerism is something you should do for the community. I’ll probably volunteer wherever we live as long as I can lift a stretcher.”

“They’ve always been that way,” said O’Sullivan. “They always say, ‘We’re not worthy of recognition; we’re just volunteers.’ But volunteers taking on that role are more worthy of recognition than someone who’s getting paid 30 hours a week.”

But the Haagas ARE getting paid; only it’s in tributes.

You already know what happened last month. In interviews for this story, there was a universal outpouring of support from former students, all of whom offered testimonies of the patience, expertise and reassurance they were given as aspiring techs – with more than one saying the Haagas offered as much comfort and support as they did information.

“They really want you to succeed,” said Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz, a former student and one of the KAA’s leading responders. “They will help remediate you if you’re having problems or mess up on a skill session. They’ll have you do it over and over again until you get it right because they want you to succeed.”

“You can get a lot of learning from books,” said Miller, “but what they imparted to us was the confidence to go out there and use our skills. Their expertise gave us the confidence to do what needs to be done. Not everyone can do that, but they prepared us pretty well.”

When that quote was repeated to Marguerite Haaga, she smiled.

“What do I enjoy most about teaching?” she said. “Probably the success of the students. We don’t want or need the attention. Our goal is to bring in volunteers, and we’ve done that.”

There was no need to remind KAA techs last month. They know that, too. An overwhelming number of those at the annual banquet passed the Haagas’ classes, including some who now serve monthly with them on the KAA’s board of directors. They understand that Mike and Marguerite Haaga don’t want the attention they’re getting. They also understand they have no choice.

“They’re invaluable,’’ said Fretz-Robbenhaar. “We might not exist without them.”

But that will happen. Some day that will happen. And then what?

“Oh, boy,” she said, pausing to find the words. “I really don’t want to think about it.”

KAA Calls Down in 2022-23 … but Not for This Leading Responder

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(Pictured L-R: James Fretz, Lisa Barbour and Dan O’Sullivan)

For the first time in six years, the Killingworth Ambulance Association has broken with history. It answered fewer calls from October, 2023 through September, 2024 than each of the previous two years. No one is sure why, but records at the KAA’s annual dinner Sunday evening revealed a reversal in annual responses that had been climbing since 2018.

However, there’s a catch: Nothing changed with those answering the calls. There, history remained intact.

For the fourth consecutive year, it was Groundhog Day for KAA president Dan O’Sullivan, honored again as the leading responder. This time he accumulated 238, two shy of his 240 the previous year and 46 percent of the 518 the volunteer service answered in 2023-24. He also set the KAA record for individual responses with 283 in 2021-22.

“I’m retired and have a lot of other stuff going on,” explained O’Sullivan, who with wife Jan, was recognized as Killingworth’s Co-Citizens of the Year in 2023, “but I make this a high priority with the things I do.”

Apparently. Honoring him annually has become so routine that, when asked to characterize O’Sullivan’s run of first-place finishes, the KAA’s chief of service, Mike Haaga, was speechless. He shook his head and threw up his hands before giving up.

“What can I say?” he finally answered. “Thank you.”

But thanks on Sunday extended beyond O’Sullivan.

James Fretz was cited for finishing second in responses with 191, and nothing new there, either. It’s the fourth consecutive year he’s been the runner-up to O’Sullivan. Lisa Barbour, who last year tied for third, was third again, this time answering 143 calls, while Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz was fourth.

“Lisa Barbour’s accomplishment is particularly amazing,” O’Sullivan said, “given that she does it while working full-time (for the town of Clinton).”

If those names sound familiar, they should. All four have been the top KAA responders each of the past three years and are members of the KAA’s board of directors.

What’s not familiar is the decline in KAA calls. Until the past fiscal year, they accelerated annually from 2018 when the figure was 277 to last year when it was a record 581, a leap of 109 percent. But over the past 12 months, the number dropped to 518, its lowest since 2021 when it was 459.

The reason? No one’s certain.

“They went up after COVID, and they stayed high for a while,” said Haaga, “but they’re moving back to where I think they should be. With COVID and after COVID, people were very concerned, for instance, about sneezing. They didn’t know what that meant. But now it’s starting to slow back down, so that when they now sneeze, they say, ‘OK, I have a cold.’ “

Haaga should know. He and wife Marguerite have been EMTs in Killingworth since 1997 and taught annual EMT and CPR classes here since 2000. In recognition of their service, they were honored Sunday night with a proclamation from the Killingworth’s board of selectmen, with First Selectman Eric Couture making the presentation.

Introducing the Haagas, O’Sullivan said he “couldn’t imagine” where the KAA would be without them. Not only are both board members; they trained 18 of the 20 current EMTs, as well as dozens of others who have since retired from active duty.

Sound Decision: A Day on the Water with This Killingworth EMT

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When someone at last month’s Killingworth Ambulance Association board meeting asked if the ambulance could be parked Saturday morning at the Congregational Church, site of the town’s annual road race, there wasn’t an immediate answer. The ambulance could be made available, board members agreed, but there was uncertainty about staffing.

At least two EMTs are required to be with the ambulance, and only one was free that morning. Some indicated they might be out of town or unavailable, which isn’t unusual … not this time of year it’s not … and then there was KAA vice president Marguerite Haaga.

She indicated she will be both … unavailable AND out of town.

That’s because she will work the 32nd annual Swim Across the Sound on Saturday for, by her count, a 25th time. The swim is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. from Port Jefferson, N.Y., and end in late afternoon at Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport, a distance of 15.5 miles across Long Island Sound. A field of 168 swimmers is expected, with 11 solos and 28 teams.

Mike and Marguerite Haaga

(Mike and Marguerite Haaga)

“Are you swimming?” Haaga was asked.

She cocked her head in disbelief. Then she burst out laughing.

“Are you kidding?” she said. “Uh, no. I’ll be working it.”

If she weren’t, she might be covering the KAA at the road race. But it has the event staffed, with Dan O’Sullivan and Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz — two of the association’s most frequent responders — expected to be there. In the meantime, Haaga will start her day early by tooling down Interstate 95 to Bridgeport, then catching a 6:15 a.m. ferry to Port Jefferson for a one-hour voyage across the sound.

Then it’s on to one of four medical boats that are part of a flotilla that includes 86 civilian crafts, 13 law enforcement boats and the U.S. Coast Guard. Serving as one of four medics, Haaga is joined on her boat by an EMT in the event of a medical emergency. However, as the medic, Haaga is the only one permitted to administer medication and read EKGs.

She and others are told they’d should expect to be on the water at least eight hours.

“Very rarely do we have an emergency,” Haaga said. “Usually, it’s because of dehydration. But in all my years, I can say we’ve never picked up anyone with an emergency. So, we’re usually not busy.”

Wait. It’s Long Island Sound. What about … uh, you know … sharks?

“We really don’t have them,” she said. “However, last year they were checking on one great white shark (via radar). They had a radio and kept keeping tabs on her. But she was far away. That was the closest one I can remember. It was only because they kept tabs on her that I knew that she was around.”

Saturday’s swim is part of the Swim Across America, which funds cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs through charity events. The event, which is hosted by Hartford Health Care and the St. Vincent’s Medical Center Department of Philanthropy, last year attracted 192 swimmers who helped raise more than $460,000 to support cancer victims and their families.

At last report, $325,000 has been raised this year.

“It’s all for a good cause,” Haaga said, “and I enjoy it.”

The KAA will begin another in its series of autumn EMT classes in August.

KAA Resumes Annual EMT Class Next Month

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For the third consecutive autumn, the Killingworth Ambulance Association will offer a four-month EMT class – this one running from Aug. 26 to December 14.

The course is open to anyone who turns 16 by Dec. 14, though students under the age of 18 must have their parents’ consent. Classes are held on Mondays and Thursdays, 6-10 p.m., as well as five Saturdays 8 a.m.- 4 p.m, and the cost is $1,000.

But that fee can be reimbursed. If class graduates are active members with the KAA for six months, half of the money is returned. If they remain with the KAA for an entire year, they recoup the entire sum.

This year’s course is the third autumn class since COVID canceled the 2020 fall program, and a shortage of students erased the 2021 course. The KAA, which responded to an annual record of 562 calls in 2023, currently has a roster of 20 active EMTs.

“From our aspect,” said Mike Haaga, the KAA’s Chief of Service who has taught the class with wife Marguerite for over 20 years, “we need more volunteer techs. That’s why we do this. One-thousand dollars is a very reasonable cost, compared to a lot of the other classes out there. So we do this, not for monetary gain; but to get more techs into Killingworth.”

And that has happened. A year ago, the Haagas had nine students in their fall class. Now, two of the graduates, Jenn and Brian Carroll, are active EMTs with the ambulance association. Furthermore, four of five graduates from the Class of 2023 went on to serve with the KAA.

“We want to bring in more volunteers,” said Marguerite Haaga, vice president of the KAA. “That’s what it comes down to. This is all about giving back to the community, so I like to see our students succeed.”

Worth six college credits, the course is highly recommended for persons interested in pursuing medical careers.

For more information, please contact the Killingworth Ambulance Association at (860) 663-2450.

Big Night for HKHS: Six Seniors Awarded KAA Scholarships

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(Pictured above, L-R: Leah Walton, Nicolette Hines, Ella Commerford, Peyton Tyler, Bryce O’Linn and Luke Dooley)

There’s not much about Scholarship Night at Haddam-Killingworth High School that’s unusual. It’s held annually. It almost always occurs in early June. And it runs no more than an hour, with numerous seniors celebrated by a multitude of local organizations.

But this year was different. At least for the Killingworth Ambulance Association it was.

For only the second time in the past nine years, the KAA on Monday awarded a record six scholarships — with Bryce O’Linn, Luke Dooley, Peyton Tyler, Ella Commerford, Nicolette Hines and Leah Walton the recipients. Unlike the previous occasion (2019), however, all were from HKHS.

Five years ago, the group included one student from Mercy High.

But that’s not all. For only the second time in the past six years and the first since 2021, males were among the KAA honorees — a departure from 2019-23 when 14 of its previous 17 recipients were female. But O’Linn and Dooley broke the streak, with resumes that include EMR certifications and nearly 200 hours each of service with the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company.

Dooley’s career goal is to become a firefighter and paramedic, which fits the parameters for KAA scholarship applicants. All are required to be Killingworth residents, pursue their education the following fall at a two-or-four-year school, major in the medical or emergency services (e.g., police, fire or allied fields), perform community service and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

All did. Moreover, they were as unanimous as they were enthusiastic about embracing the next step in their education.

“One of the most important values of mine,” said Commerford, “is to help others. One way that I know I will be able to do this is by continuing my education to strengthen the skills and knowledge I’ll need to assist others in the real world.”

One more contrast with this year’s event: Unlike previous Scholarship Nights, it didn’t last the usual hour. Instead, it stretched to an hour-and-a-half, with 44 organizations presenting scholarships – sometimes to multiple winners, as the KAA did with these six recipients:

BRYCE O’LINN

By his own admission, Bryce never envisioned going to college. But then he joined the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company and amassed 170 hours of training. He’s an EMR, was captain of the boys’ basketball team, hopes to become an EMT and will gain his EMT, FF1 and ASE certification from CT State in the fall.

LUKE DOOLEY

Luke is another student with Killingworth Fire experience. He has 190 hours logged with the Fire Company and, as an EMR, has ridden with the KAA. Not only was he was one of the football team’s captains; he was the school mascot, too (presumably, not during football games). Luke will attend the University of New Haven and major in Fire Protection Engineering.

PEYTON TYLER

Ever since she can remember, Peyton wanted to be a nurse or a nurse-practitioner (like her Mom), especially after watching her father recover from open-heart surgery. So she will. Captain of the swim team, she will attend the University of St. Joseph this fall where she plans to major in nursing.

ELLA COMMERFORD

Captain of the girls’ basketball team, Ella initially wanted to pursue a career in Elementary Education. But that changed when she saw her grandmother respond to treatments for throat cancer. The “positive impact,” as she put it, that doctors had on her convinced Ella to rethink her major, which will now be Radiologic Sciences at Quinnipiac College.

NICOLETTE HINES

Nicky said she’s always enjoyed helping others, but it wasn’t until she lost a close friend in 2020 that she knew what she wanted to become as an adult – and that’s a mental-health counselor. So she will, going to the University of St. Joseph to study neuropsychology. Item of note: A member of the HKHS softball team, Nicky marked her final home game by catching the last out (a strikeout) of sophomore Emma Giaconne’s second perfect game of the season.

LEAH WALTON

Since she was young, Leah dreamed of getting involved in the study of criminal behavior and how to prevent it. And now … well, now that dream is about to become a reality. This fall she will attend the University of Delaware, where she plans to major in Criminology and minor in Cyber Security.

“The KAA’s primary mission,” said president Dan O’Sullivan, “is to provide emergency medical services to the community. But we have two other important elements to our mission: First, we want to improve community safety by educating residents on emergency services they can perform until we arrive, including first-aid, CPR and Stop the Bleed; and, second, we want to help provide for future healthcare workers by offering scholarships to Killingworth seniors entering the medical field. With that in mind, we’re especially thrilled to have six qualified candidates this year.  Congratulations to all.”

Deadline Approaching for KAA Scholarships

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Graduating high-school seniors still have time to apply for the Killingworth Ambulance Association’s 2024 scholarships, but the clock is ticking. The deadline closes this Friday, April 12th, with all applications required to be postmarked or received by the KAA by that date.

Scholarships range between $1,000-2,500 each and are available to seniors from public and private high schools. However, to be eligible, applicants must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Reside in Killingworth.
  • Intend to major in the medical, emergency services (fire, police, etc.) or allied fields.
  • Plan on continuing their education at two-or-four-year institutions to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.
  • Have maintained a GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Have performed community service.

Applications are available through the guidance offices at Haddam-Killingworth, Xavier and Mercy High Schools. Those that are mailed should be addressed to the Killingworth Ambulance Association, 335 Route 81, P.O. Box 749, Killingworth, CT 06419.

Recipients will be named at their school’s Awards Night, with checks issued when copies of first semester grades from secondary schools are obtained by the KAA.

Over the past five years, the KAA has awarded 17 scholarships, including three last spring. All three were females, the fourth time in the past five years that has happened. In fact, dating back to 2019, all but three of the 17 recipients have been young women. Only the Class of 2021 included males.

For more information, contact the KAA at (860) 663-2450.

KAA Now Accepting Applications for 2024 Scholarships

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If you’re a high-school senior who graduates this year and lives in Killingworth, the town’s Ambulance Association is looking for you. That’s because the KAA has begun accepting applications for its 2024 scholarships.

As it has in the past, the Ambulance Association offers scholarships to graduating seniors from public and private high schools. However, they must reside in Killingworth and plan on continuing their education at two-or-four-year academic institutions to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.

In addition, applicants must intend on majoring in the medical, emergency services (police, fire, etc.) or allied fields … have performed community service … and maintained a GPA of at least 3.0.

Applications are available at Haddam-Killingworth, Xavier and Mercy High Schools and must be received by the KAA or postmarked to its 335 Route 81 address no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.

Recipients will be named at their school’s Awards Night, with checks issued when copies of first-semester grades from secondary schools are received by the KAA.

Over the past five years, the KAA has awarded 17 scholarships — including three last spring. All three were females, the fourth time in the past five years that happened. In fact, dating back to 2019, all but three of the 17 recipients have been young women.

Only the Class of 2021, which included three males, broke the streak.

Remembering Dan Perkins: One of the KAA’s Founding Members

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Pictured above in 2021: Dan Perkins (c), flanked by Don McDougall (l) and Charlie Smith (r).

When the Killingworth Ambulance Association celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, it called on some of its original members to attend a ceremony that October at Deer Lake. Charlie Smith, the KAA’s first president, was there. So was Don McDougall, who retired from the KAA last year after more than 50 years of service. And so was Dan Perkins.

Sadly, Perkins passed away last week at the age of 82.

Perkins was a lifelong resident of Killingworth who grew up on the family farm, helped with chores around the property (including milking cows, haying fields and caring for animals) and pitched in to help his Dad, known as Leslie, at a gas station on Route 80 next to the Sheridan farm.

He graduated from Morgan High School in Clinton and was actively involved in Killingworth volunteering for over 60 years as a founding member of the KAA, the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company, the town’s Historical Society, Killingworth Lions Club and Killingworth Library. He also worked at the popular Cowboy Valley, which opened in 1957, and participated in Killingworth’s 350th anniversary celebration.

But it was as a volunteer in on the ground floor of the KAA that we remember him. Perkins was one of a handful of Killingworth residents who, in 1971, joined Walter Albrecht to push for a volunteer ambulance association. After one was approved at an informal town meeting, a group of approximately 25 volunteers — mostly married couples – formed the KAA, with its members on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“There were lulls in staffing,” said Smith in a 2021 video where he, McDougall and Perkins shared memories of the KAA’s start, “and there were lulls in funding at certain points. But we recovered. And look where we are now, baby.”

Yes, look. Today the ambulance association is housed in a two-story, two-garage building on Route 81, complete with EMTs on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are approximately 20 active techs now, each of whom is required to pass a rigorous exam that involves 180 hours of training. Plus, where there were once fewer than 100 emergency calls a year for a used 1964 Cadillac that served as the KAA’s first ambulance, there were a record 562 last year.

“Times were different then,” Perkins said in 2021. “We started with nothing, and it turned out pretty well.”

It did. Fortunately, Perkins was there to help with its growth, and the KAA — as well as Killingworth and its citizens — are grateful.

“Dan Perkins and his wife,” said Smith, “were the heart and soul of the early first-aid efforts that we made here in Killingworth. Dan especially had a real keen sense of good health care … good first-aid health care … and he accompanied us down to Westbrook when we went to the first-aid course sponsored by the Westbrook Ambulance Association just for us. We’ll surely miss him.

A service for Perkins will be held at the Swan Funeral Home in Clinton on Saturday, Feb. 3. Calling hours are from 10 a.m.-noon, followed immediately by a short service at Swan. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donation be sent to the Killingworth Ambulance Association, 335 Route 81, Killingworth, CT. 06419.

 

 

Another Record Year as KAA Responded to 562 Calls in 2023

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New Year. Same story.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Killingworth Ambulance Association in 2023 responded to a record number of emergency calls. This time the figure was 562, up slightly from 550 a year ago and 496 in 2021 … but a significant hike from 2020 when the KAA answered 370 calls.

That’s a 51.9 percent hike in just three years, and let’s be honest: What happened in 2020 … or didn’t … was due in large part to the COVID outbreak early that year. State and local shutdowns compelled people to travel less frequently until vaccines were available in the spring and summer.

But while the number of calls changed appreciably since then, the specifics have not. As usual, victims of falls last year led the list of responses, as they have almost every year, while sick individuals finished second. That, too, is consistent with ambulance history, as the past two years document.

Here are the top five ambulance calls for 2023, with the percentage of total calls in parentheses:

  1. FALLS …. 122 (21.7 percent).
  2. SICK PERSONS … 99 (17.6 percent).
  3. BREATHING PROBLEMS … 54 (9.6 percent).
  4. PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS/ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR … 44 (7.8 percent).
  5. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS … 41 (7.3 percent).

Now look at the calls for the previous year (2022). The numbers and percentages aren’t much different:

  1. FALLS … 119 (21.6 percent)
  2. SICK PERSONS … 104 (18.6 percent).
  3. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS … 51 (9.1 percent).
  4. BREATHING PROBLEMS … 41 (7.3 percent).
  5. PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS/ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR … 40 (7.1 percent).

If there’s a takeaway from the latest figures, it’s that responses – both in number and in cases — changed little from one year to the next. That’s one. But another is that the Killingworth Ambulance Association and its techs – all of whom are volunteers — continue to handle an increasing demand for their services.

“I’m relieved that the rate of increase has leveled off quite a bit,” said KAA president Dan O’Sullivan, “but I’m still hoping we’ll go back to prior levels , though I don’t think we’ll get all the way there. The thing that most pleases me about this, however, is that we continue to have very good coverage on our calls. A lot of techs stepped up to make sure we’re covering as many calls as possible.”

O’Sullivan should know. He covered the most the past three years, setting a KAA record with 283 from October through 2021-September, 2022.  But he’s not alone. Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz, husband James Fretz and Lisa Barbour joined O’Sullivan as the most active responders the past three years, with James Fretz only 20 responses shy of O’Sullivan a year ago (240-2020).

While the 562 calls works out to a daily average of one-and-a-half calls per day, that figure is a little misleading. Sometimes, the ambulance isn’t summoned at all. Then, it is. Frequently. In fact, on August 29 of last year, Mary and James Fretz were involved in five emergency responses between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

“And only one,” said Mary, “was mutual aid to Clinton. That was the last one. So it does seem to be ‘feast or famine.’ Sometimes, we’ll have zero. Then, we’ll have three.”

O’Sullivan has noticed, especially with calls down recently. According to records kept by the KAA, monthly responses dropped in December and have continued to stay there in January.

“Maybe things have peaked,” he said, adding that occasional monthly dips aren’t rare. “What happens is that there will be a couple of days where we have no calls and then a couple in a row where we have five or six. Those days where we have 50 or 70 calls a month are really tough. We’re continually stretching the staff to cover them, so we’re always looking for more techs.

“But, that said, I can’t express how appreciative we are to the people of this community. They regularly apologize for calling us, but we’ll tell them, ‘No, that’s why we’re here.’ We don’t want anybody worrying about calling at any hour of the day.”

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On the Road Again: Day in the Life of Two of Killingworth’s Busiest EMTs

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(James Fretz, pictured above, and wife Mary are two of the KAA’s most diligent responders).

The Killingworth Ambulance Association is so active that each year it answers more calls than the one before. In fact, from October, 2022 through September, 2023, it responded to a record 581 dispatches, a jump of 43 from the year before and 122 from the year before that.

But those are just numbers. Someone must answer those calls, and that someone is a group of 15-20 volunteers who serve as EMTs and EMRs answering calls day and night … no matter the time … no matter the weather … and without warning.

Two summers ago, KAA president Dan O’Sullivan responded when no ambulance was available for what turned out to be an automobile fatality. He wasn’t on that evening’s schedule, but when he heard an urgent request for EMTs and Life Star he drove to the scene of the accident and assisted with the victim who survived.

Unusual? No. More like typical. It was one of 283 responses for O’Sullivan that year, breaking the previous KAA record of 207 set in 2019-20.

He, Lisa Barbour, James Fretz and wife Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz are the most active of the EMTs, handling more KAA calls the past two years than all others – often double-teaming as they combined for 1,409 responses, a figure so astounding that I had to know how they did it.

So I joined James and Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz on a cold and blustery November afternoon to observe first-hand what most of us can’t – namely, what an EMT does when answering a 911 call.

Here’s what happened:

12:04 p.m.  – It’s Tuesday – James and Mary’s day on the weekly KAA schedule — and the day won’t wait. Shortly after awakening, they answer a 7:15 a.m. call that turns out to be a simple lift assist, and within an hour they’re back home. But they return later to the ambulance building so that James can address an ambulance issue and Mary can inventory equipment in the attic.

And that’s when it happens: A page comes in from Valley Shore Dispatch in Westbrook, seeking EMTs to respond to a call coming from a Killingworth resident in distress.

James and Mary are officially on the clock.

12:13 p.m. – The ambulance exits the KAA parking lot, with James driving and Mary sitting in the passenger seat to his right, helping to navigate.

12:17 p.m. – They arrive at their destination, with James backing the ambulance down a short driveway.  When he and Mary emerge from the ambulance, there’s a surprise: The caller … and patient … is standing in the driveway, waiting to speak with them. Normally, patients are inside their homes awaiting help. But not here and not now.

A senior male, the patient is cognizant, courteous and in no visible discomfort. However, he immediately complains of severe abdominal pain, with symptoms that James and Mary seem to recognize. His condition is not life-threatening, but it can be … and, apparently, is …excruciating, according to the patient. After several minutes of questioning, Mary leads him into the ambulance, with James behind, and soon he’s secured in an upright position to a stretcher. On request, he rolls up the right sleeve of his plaid shirt so that Mary can monitor his vitals, including blood pressure. Then she and James cover him with blankets, set the temperature in the ambulance at 75 degrees and prepare to leave. As they do, Mary begins to review the patient’s medical history, making notes on a white pad as he speaks. She asks if he’s comfortable, and he’s not. The pain has radiated to his lower back, and it’s severe. Mary tries to comfort him, assuring him that the ride will be short. Then we’re off.

12: 23 p.m. – As we head south on Route 81, Mary sits to the right-hand side of the patient – approximately 12-18 inches away — and continues to write on a small sheet of paper as he responds to her questions. She’s calm, comforting and intent on engaging him in conversation. But he’s anxious and distressed and wants to know how long before we reach a clinic. Our destination is the Yale New Haven Shore Line Medical Center in Guilford, approximately 15 miles away.

Mary: “Usually, when we approach, we’re trained to assess the scene right away. So, when we walk in, we ask ourselves: ‘Is it safe?’ Then we put on our gloves. It’s what we call ‘BSI’. Body Substance Isolation, which is a system of generic infection precautions. It’s a nice day, and it’s dry outside. It looks pretty safe, and … wow! … the patient is right here, and he’s upright. He doesn’t have a traumatic injury, he’s alert and he’s oriented. So, right off the bat, we know it doesn’t look like he cut himself because he’s not bleeding, he doesn’t have a head injury and he’s able to tell us what’s wrong. And that’s great. But we knew from Valley Shore that he’d had a recent surgery. So this probably was going to be related to that. Why Guilford? Because he requested it. His doctor was in the Yale system, and he had his surgery at a location associated with Yale. Plus, all his records were there.”

12:26 p.m. – The patient continues to experience significant back pain and asks Mary to move him to a more upright position. She does, then punches information into a portable computer to her left. Now in visible discomfort, he asks if she can remove the straps tying him to the stretcher so that he can stand. “I can’t,” Mary says. “It’s not safe. Try taking deep breaths.” She asks if he’s had anything to eat or drink recently, and he hasn’t. Then he begins to cough violently. “We’re almost there,” she assures him.

12:37 p.m. – We join the traffic on Route 95, and it’s heavy. “Holiday traffic,” Mary says. Nevertheless, James is able to maintain a speed of 60-65 mph. By now, the patient is so uncomfortable he asks to have straps loosened so that he can sit more upright. Mary does what she can but reminds him that he must be secured to the stretcher. She takes his blood pressure again, checks his heart rate and is confident nothing … outside of lower back pain … is wrong. His blood pressure is good, and his heart rate is stable. It’s the pain that’s the issue, and she asks him to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 the worst. “An 8 or 9,” he says. Mary seems relieved. She thought it would be worse.

12:44 p.m. – The ambulance exits on to Route 77 in Guilford and takes a right-hand turn. Mary asks the patient to sign a medical form on her computer so that Medicare … and not the patient … is billed, and he complies. His pain hasn’t subsided. If anything, it’s worse. “We’re here,” she tells him, “and they’ll figure out what’s going on. But you should be OK.”

12:45 p.m. – We arrive at the Medical Center.

Mary: “I was just trying to make sure he was stable and that there was nothing else going on. He said he was feeling nauseous, so I was worried. But he hadn’t eaten much. So I think the nausea was from so much pain. I was just trying to get accurate vital signs for documentation and distract him a little bit to make him as comfortable as possible. Because we really can’t give pain meds, we try to keep patients as comfortable as we can until they can be assessed. I didn’t want him to stand up, but I did want to keep him sitting upright in case he vomited so he wouldn’t choke. Essentially, I wanted to keep him as safe as possible, gain an accurate assessment of his vital signs and get pertinent medical history for the patient-care record – information that might shed light as to what’s going on. When you get to the clinic, they want to know the story. But they also want to know his history, like what meds he’s taking and any allergies he might have. So you prepare in your head a brief report for when you get there, and I did. But there are a lot of things to think about.”

12:46 p.m. – James opens the rear doors of the ambulance. Sitting upright, the patient is lowered from a power lift inside the ambulance to the parking lot below, then pushed into the medical center … with Mary in front and James pushing from behind. They pass the front desk and walk to a station not more than 10-15 yards down the hall where the triage nurse is located.

12:48 p.m. – Mary speaks with the nurse and shares the patient’s medical history. He remains with James outside the glass enclosure and, remarkably, seems to feel better now. He answers Mary when she asks for the date of his prior surgery and information on allergies and medicine he should avoid. “They’re all on my chart,” he calls to her. James then attaches an ID bracelet to the patient’s left wrist.

12:51 p.m. – Mary and James wheel their patient around a horseshoe shaped hallway and take a left-hand turn into an area with an empty bed and curtain that, once pulled, turns the space into a private enclosure. They lower the stretcher, unstrap the patient and ask him to stand. He does, without assistance. Then he reclines on the bed, again sitting upright. James removes all towels and linens from the stretcher and deposits them in a hamper for dirty linens. Once that’s done, he pushes the stretcher out of the building and into the parking lot where he will clean it. Meanwhile, Mary remains behind, making certain the patient has his wallet before she gives a nurse her report. “It’s our division of labor,” she says, nodding to her husband as he leaves.

12:59 p.m. – Mary finds the triage nurse, has her sign off on the report and declares the trip complete. “That’s it,” she says as she packs up. “We’re good.” She wishes the patient good luck, and he thanks her. “Hope they get everything figured out,” she says as she walks away. He nods and waves.

1:09 p.m. –After cleaning the back of the ambulance and dressing the stretcher in clean towels and linens, James and Mary climb back into the vehilce,exit the parking lot and head for home –James again at the wheel, Mary in the back.

1:28 p.m. – James pulls into the KAA driveway and notifies Valley Shore that he and Mary have returned and are back in service.

1:29 p.m.: — The ambulance is parked inside the KAA building, and the engine is turned off. Mary and James walk to the office inside, sit down in front of computer and enter the necessary information to complete their trip. Within a half-hour, they will head for home … and wait on the next call.

James: “That was an easy one because everything went smoothly. What you’re worried about when you transport someone is the patient getting worse while they’re in the back. But that didn’t happen. The patient stayed stable, and there wasn’t anything critical as far as the status of the patient. But you can tell right away when you go into the call and start evaluating. You can tell when they’re talking to you … and, this case, the patient was conversant, alert and oriented. So it was pretty straight forward. We just happened to be in the building when the call came in, and we answered after the first tone. Simple as that. If you’re on call, you respond right away. And that’s what we did.”