Lt. Daniel K. Kehoe, (Ret.)
The clearest view of the history of the SVAA can be expressed by the stories and actions of the people of who organized, volunteered, received care from, and acted alongside as hospital ER providers, fellow agencies such as police and fire, or mutual aid suppliers including LIFE STAR and the Bradley Field Paramedics.
It is right and necessary to bring all of these people into the storyline since, as post-1970 EMS emerged and grew, so many of the volunteers at the SVAA cross-worked at these other jobs and agencies. In the earliest days, an EMT who also worked as a trauma nurse in a big hospital emergency department was handy to have, even though technically on a call they could only operate to the EMT skill level to which they were certified by the State of Connecticut. Still, the knowledge they brought with them on calls often steered the focus of the EMS care required of a critical patient because “they had seen this movie before.”
In like manner, SVAA members were gratuitous in sharing the EMS knowledge and skill as first responders at work, especially as school teachers.
The Founding Members
The photos of the 1976 founding members show an eclectic band of eager townspeople who could best be described as “the butchers, the bakers, and the candlestick makers” of Suffield. Those who signed on to make the SVAA a private ambulance service separate from the police department which had operated it for decades came from every walk of life.
Teachers and Educators
Becky Gibson-Laemel was one of the most influential and popular teachers who set the standard for teacher-volunteers in the earliest days of the SVAA. Others, including Jane Brockett, Rick Jensen, and Cindy Nicholson were some of the many educators who served. A family foundation honoring favorite teachers Amiel Zak and his wife Mary Anne Zak would years later give the SVAA its own building in 2007.
Ministers and Chaplains
The SVAA, unlike almost any fire department, had no established chaplaincy for many years, though some stepped in to fill this role when needed. Erskine Harvey, a Hamilton Standard engineer by trade and Sunday School teacher at Second Baptist, would often lead prayer at annual meetings and in times of distress.
In the early 2000s, Joyce Lincoln used her ministry skills both on the PAT Team and as the SVAA’s first declared chaplain. Later, Rev. Scott Seabury (of the lineage of Bishop Seabury prominent in Connecticut’s history) was the SVAA’s chaplain and also assisted the PAT Team.
The Townspeople
Every year at the Memorial Day Parade, local townspeople would line the street and applaud as the ambulance members marched along. It seemed that everyone in town knew someone volunteering with the SVAA, or had the ambulance visit their home.
Public support in the early years in the form of non-medical assistance was common from the older generations that still had the Great Depression and World War II fresh on their minds. Offers to come in and “roll bandages” as they had during the war effort were frequent, and had to be turned down due to the EMS industry moving to pre-packaged sterile goods. Still, the desire to help any way they could made these elderly supporters a treasured group, and in kind return, our frequent customers.
Early Fundraisers
Dr. Markowski, a local dentist, was an avid supporter of the SVAA in the early days, and sponsored many fundraisers, sometimes in the parking lot of his practice.
The SVAA Trustees
When the SVAA was struggling financially in the late 1980s, concerned citizens such as Susan Cranmore, Mary Anne Zak, Matt Falkowski and Chairman Nick Michelson among others came on-board and created the Trustees. Their initial focus in the winter of 1990 was to keep the SVAA financially solvent through focused annual fund drives, and then to get the SVAA a sufficient space for its two ambulances. Their efforts would eventually lead to the SVAA gaining exclusive access to a renovated Annex with dual bays in 1993, and then their own land and building on Bridge Street in 2007. They remain an active force overseeing the longevity of the SVAA today.
Other key roles
Several members and townspeople were instrumental in the life of the SVAA or became synonymous with the services they provided.
- For many years, Lt. Vic Mathieu used his mechanic background to oversee the maintenance of the ambulances and other vehicles.
- Gary Fields, along with Capt. Jay Nash and Lt. Dan Kehoe were some of the earliest drivers of putting portable radios into hands of crewmembers, and establishing our own radio repeater system, pulling us off the busy police frequency.
- Then Deputy Chief Lisa Shelanskas spearheaded the SVAA’s billing and receivables era, when the SVAA went from free ambulance rides (and almost going out of business) to creating a stable revenue stream that enabled the organization to survive and grow. She was also key to establishing the public CPR training classes, which also helped to inspire new members to join. I believe she held the honor of delivering the first baby on the ambulance as well, a career-long dream of hers.
- Linda Stevenson’s and Dan Kehoe’s Bigfoot Labs company created and donated use of the RescueBooker online shift scheduling system that was used for more than a decade, freeing members from having to drive to the ambulance garage to sign up for duty shifts. Diane Seger used this to her advantage to maintain a full schedule for many years. Bigfoot Labs worked with Chief Art Groux to implement the RescueRouter program for finding addresses on calls, years before GPS and mapping became popular.
- Bob Lowell parlayed his position with building maintenance for the schools into ensuring that the new Zak Center building was both a well-designed and properly constructed habitat for the SVAA. Bill Borchers was instrumental in the new building committee. A local carpenter, Justin Doyon, almost singlehandedly built much of the building, and by himself pulled the accessory building’s cupola up onto the roof before nailing it in place.
- Cindy Nicholson and Paulette Vandervoort created the Cadet program (similar to a scouting Explorer post) to encourage young students to get involved with EMS.
- Lt. Dan Kehoe initiated several new ventures for the SVAA, including The Pager and The Responder newsletters, the Mobile Open House Program, The PAT Team, laptops in the ambulances, and serving as emcee for years at SVAA banquets.
- David Terry, who worked at the power company, brought some incredible demonstrations about power line safety to our EMS training classes.
- Lt. Marie Bliss led the effort to ensure that Santa Claus visited the building, enhancing the Christmas season for all members’ families with her “Twelve Pies of Christmas” idea.
There are many more members who also contributed to the success of the SVAA, which my fading memory causes me to miss. The membership itself is notable, always faithful and robust enough to fill the schedule even as a second and third ambulance was added. The leadership of the SVAA (the Board and the Chiefs) are also to be noted, as they made the SVAA a place that not only kept a full roster, but attracted volunteers from other towns to drive many miles just to volunteer with us.
I could not close this note about members without noting the decades long contributions of Don Miner since 1989. His guidance, participation, experience, and contributions spanned all aspects of the SVAA, from crewmember to Board of Directors. I still remember the sunny afternoon thirty-seven years ago when he came into the cramped SVAA office at the old Annex, wearing a t-shirt and running shorts, interested in joining. He would go on to take thousands of calls, rising through the medical certifications of CPR-Driver, MRT, EMT-B, EMT-I, and the leadership ranks of Lieutenant to Deputy Chief. If there was ever a new program or service idea, Don Miner was in on it and probably helped make it happen. Most important to me was his frequent and faithful service as a member of the PAT Team. That he is still there and active is a testament to his longstanding commitment to not only the SVAA, but the Town of Suffield and the safety of its people as well.
