Tag Archives: Hartford Courant

11th Annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive!

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HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Courtesy of Ambulance Service of Manchester)

First responders and other volunteers in Manchester, South Windsor and Vernon will be collecting food and cash donations to stock area food pantries, starting in Manchester on Saturday and Sunday.

Coordinated by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive is in its 11th year. This year, Highland Park Market is joining the effort, hosting collections at the Manchester store, food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason said.

Along with police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews, participants include the Manchester Area Conference of Churches, Hockanum Valley Community Council, South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank, Police Explorers and Rotary Club members.

On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers will be collecting turkeys, chickens, non-perishable food items, cash and gift cards at Highland Park Market, 317 Highland St., and Stop & Shop supermarket, 318 West Middle Turnpike. Collections on both days are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Collections are to continue on Nov. 23 and 24 at both Manchester locations and at the South Windsor Stop & Shop, 1739 Ellington Road; Geissler’s supermarket in South Windsor, 965 Sullivan Ave.; Stop & Shop in Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road; and the Stop & Shop in the Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com

ASM Appears in Local News

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MANCHESTER- On Thursday October 12th, ASM Director of Operations, Stephen Conley, served as a panelist at St. Bridget’s Church to offer insight on the opioid crisis from the EMS provider’s perspective. The event was covered by Annie Gentile of the Hartford Courant and published in the Courant Community section this morning.

For the full story, please Click Here!

Above photo courtesy of The Hartford Courant

Stores, Emergency Personnel ‘Stuff A Truck’ To Help Families

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South Windsor Toy DriveHARTFORD COURANT

by Quron Walker

Local first responders, along with Stop & Shop, 1739 Ellington Road, and Geissler’s Supermarket, 965 Sullivan Ave., held the annual “Stuff A Truck” event on Dec. 12 to gather money, food, and toys for South Windsor families in need.

The South Windsor Police Department partnered with the South Windsor Fire Department, and Ambulance Service of Manchester helped as well. The organizations worked together to collect food and toys at the locations.

Read the whole article here…

Nora Young, an EMT with Ambulance Service of Manchester, said she was happy with the turnout and with how residents support one another, as well.

“People always want to help their community out,” she said. “We just give them a place to do it.”

Another Good Year For Emergency Of Hunger Food Drive

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HARTFORD COURANT

By Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — Donations to the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive show the region’s generosity has not diminished.

Police, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other volunteers gathered food and other gifts over the past two weekends at supermarkets in Manchester, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Vernon and Windsor.

Estimated totals were: 26,000 food and personal care items; $23,000 in cash, checks and gift cards; and 870 turkeys and hams, organizer Dave Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Tuesday.

Total donations for the seven years that first responders have run the drive are 210,000 food and personal care items, $143,000 in cash, checks and gift cards and over 6,000 turkeys and hams. Read the whole story here….

First Responders In Six Towns Prepare For Food Drive

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Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

First responders in Manchester and five other towns are gearing up for the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive, an annual effort that organizers say has proven vital to food pantries in the region.

Read the full article here…

“Many of the area food banks have come to rely on this food drive and the generosity of shoppers to get them through the holiday season,” Skoczulek said.

To date, he said, volunteers have collected about 187,000 food and personal care items, 5,500 turkeys and over $120,000 in cash, checks and gift cards.

“All we ask is for each shopper to purchase one extra item to donate,” Skoczulek said. “Many shoppers go well beyond this and donate multiple items — sometimes even whole shopping carts. But every little bit helps, so we appreciate each item.”

All locations are Stop & Shop supermarkets, except for Geissler’s Supermarket on Sullivan Avenue in South Windsor.

• Manchester: 286 Broad St., Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rockville section of Vernon: 50 Windsorville Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rocky Hill: 80 Town Line Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m..

• Vernon: 10 Pitkin Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Windsor: 1095 Kennedy Road, Saturday and Sunday — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: Geissler’s Supermarket, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Enfield collection dates, times and locations are to be announced.

“Every year we hope for good weather and holiday cheer to help us through,” Skoczulek said, “but no matter what, we always seem to bring in a big haul for those in need.”

Eleven Children Injured In School Bus Crash In Wethersfield

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IMG_2330Hartford Courant

by Christine Dempsey and David Moran

WETHERSFIELD — About a dozen children have been sent to area hospitals after a school bus crash.

See the original Courant article here...

Police, firefighters and seven ambulances were dispatched to the scene, 52 Prospect Street, shortly before 8:50 a.m., according to an ambulance company spokesman.

The crash has been declared a “mass casualty incident,” with all students on the bus being transported to hospitals, said David Skoczulek of Aetna Ambulance Service, Inc.

As of 9:15 a.m., 11 patients have been transported to area hospitals. Seven were sent to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, he said, two went to Middlesex Hospital, one went to Hartford Hospital and one went to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

The small bus appears to have collided with a Jeep Wrangler, which struck another car. The third vehicle then hit a fourth car.

The school bus reportedly collided with two cars, Skoczulek said. The extent of injuries is unknown.

The term “mass casualty incident” means that more resources are needed because of the number of patients. It doesn’t speak to the extent of injuries, Skoczulek said.

Read the full story here…

Courant Staff Writer David Moran contributed to this story.

Manchester First Responders Finish Shoveling Job After Homeowner Dies

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Hartford Courant

by Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — First responders who tried to save a man’s life Tuesday when he collapsed while shoveling his roof returned to the home after the man died to finish the job he started.

“In all honesty, it’s not surprising, you know, the compassion of our community and our first responders, but this to me was just amazing,” police Officer Bernie Hallums said Wednesday.

The emergency call from 12 Scott Drive came in at 9:45 a.m. Hallums said he and other police officers climbed a ladder to the roof and rendered life­saving aid, but the man remained unconscious and later died.

Later that morning, Hallums, along with Officers Adam Desso and Tomas Kazcerski, firefighters from the town and Eighth Utilities District and Ambulance Service of Manchester medics returned to the home to finish shoveling the roof. 

Read the whole story here…

Regional Food Drive – Another “Excellent” Year

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hc-manchester-hunger-results-1126-20141125-001HARTFORD COURANT

Delivering donated food to the MACC Charities pantry recently are, left to right, Sean Gregg of Ambulance Service of Manchester, Rotary Club members Ana Ramos and Marty Fins and MACC Executive Director Beth Stafford. (Rick Lawrence).

By Jesse Leavenworth

NOVEMBER 25, 2014, 1:27 PM

Read the full, original article here…

The Emergency of Hunger drive collected nearly 40,000 food items, an outpouring of generosity that an organizer characterized as “excellent” and a good gauge of citizens’ holiday spirit.

The regional collection by police, fire and emergency medical agencies and Rotary Club members benefits food pantries in Manchester, Vernon, South Windsor, Rocky Hill and Windsor.

Conducted over the past two weekends,the drive took in 39,956 food items, $23,839.80 in cash, checks and gift cards and 788 turkeys, organizer Dave Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Tuesday.

“It was an excellent year, once again surpassing our expectations,” Skoczulek said.
Collections in each town go to pantries that serve those towns. The drive provides a big lift to pantry stocks, not just for the holidays, but sometimes extending into February, pantry
representatives said. Organizers said the need has not diminished since the first drive in 2009.

The drive’s six ­year totals, which Skoczulek reported Tuesday, were 186,956 food items, $120,025.80 in cash, checks and gift cards and 5,498 turkeys.

“Emergency Of Hunger” Food Drive Begins Saturday

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Emergency response agency and food pantry representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council in Vernon to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

Emergency response agency and food pantry representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council in Vernon to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

VERNON — Emergency response agencies in the region are teaming up again to boost food supplies for poor and struggling residents. Read the full article here…

Police, fire, emergency medical services and Rotary Club representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. Collections are set for Saturday and Sunday at supermarkets in Manchester, South Windsor, Vernon and Rocky Hill. Collections in Windsor, Manchester and Rocky Hill also are scheduled for Nov. 22-23.

Now in its sixth year, the drive has collected a total of 147,000 food and personal care items, 4,170 turkeys and about $96,000 in cash, checks and gift cards, organizer Dave Skoczulek of the Ambulance Service of Manchester said. Collections in each town go to pantries that serve those towns, Skoczulek said.

Full article here…

Following are locations and dates for collections (locations are Stop & Shop supermarkets, unless otherwise noted):

  • Manchester, 286 Broad St. — Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road — Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Rocky Hill, 80 Town Line Road — Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road — Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • South Windsor, 1739 Ellington Road — Nov 22-23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • South Windsor, (Geissler’s Supermarket) 965 Sullivan Ave. — Nov 22-23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Windsor, 1095 Kennedy Road — Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Born Rolling Down I-84

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Reunited two months after Kyra Deschene's birth on I-84, (l-r) Jamie and Andy Deschene, ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils, holding Kyra, and ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

Reunited two months after Kyra Deschene’s birth on I-84, (l-r) Jamie and Andy Deschene, ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils, holding Kyra, and ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

By Jesse Leavenworth

HARTFORD COURANT

MANCHESTER — Andy and Jamie Deschene had to make a quick decision on the night of Sept. 5.

Pregnant with her second child, but not due to deliver until Nov. 9, Jamie Deschene, 30, was having labor contractions when she called Andy at work and told him to hurry home. A doctor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford told the couple that if they could make it to the hospital from their Bolton home in 20 minutes, they could drive. If not, the physician advised, call an ambulance.

Jamie’s water had not broken, and the Deschenes decided to drive. Her water broke on I-384 near the Spencer Street exit.

Soon after, the infant’s feet emerged, and the couple were faced with a potentially dangerous breach birth in their car. Andy pulled off on Exit 56 of I-84 and called 911. The off-ramp was soon bustling with state troopers, East Hartford firefighters and medics from Ambulance Service of Manchester.

Pregnant herself, ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell had answered four or five maternity calls within the past month. Each patient’s due date was closer than the one before, Bissell said. On the last call before the Deschenes’ emergency, the woman’s water broke on the ambulance stretcher.

Andy Deschene made his 911 call at 7:42 p.m. Within minutes, East Hartford firefighter/paramedic Tamarah Collins and firefighter Judith Geier joined Bissell and ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils at the scene. They secured Jamie Deschene for transport and headed to Hartford. Read the rest of the story here…

ASM Responds: LifeStar Called To Serious Crash On I-84 In Tolland; Highway Shut Down

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Photo credit: @TollandAlert

Photo credit: @TollandAlert

By KELLY GLISTA and CHRISTINE DEMPSEY

The Hartford Courant

10:34 a.m. EDT, July 10, 2014

TOLLAND — LifeStar helicopters and several emergency crews were called to the scene of a serious crash on the eastbound side on I-84 Thursday morning, according to officials.

State police said the single-vehicle accident happened near exit 68. The eastbound side of I-84 remains closed as police investigate the crash, but the westbound lanes have been partially reopened.

The crash was reported about 8:40 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Douglas Racicot said. The car was down an embankment, in the woods, and there were four victims, three of whom were reported to have been ejected from the vehicle, he said.

As of about 10:15 a.m., two patients were in critical condition, one was in serious condition and a fourth was being evaluated for less serious injuries at an area hospital.

The car was about 50 feet into the woods and plunged down a 40 foot drop, Racicot said.

Numerous police and fire officials responded to the scene as well as about seven ambulances. Both of the medical helicopters available in Connecticut were initially called to the scene and emergency crews requested a third out of Massachusetts.

Three paramedic ambulances were dispatched to the scene by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, a spokesman said.

Read the full Courant article here…

Manchester Man Charged With Hit And Run After School Bus Accident

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hc-manchester-evading-charge-0604-20140603-001

Four children were on board this school bus when it was hit in the rear by a driver who fled the scene at Main and Center streets, police said. Officers later arrested a suspect. No one was seriously hurt. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant / June 3, 2014)

8:02 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2014

MANCHESTER — After ramming his car into the rear of a school bus Tuesday evening, a local man drove away and then tried to lie about the accident, police said.

No one was seriously hurt.

Allan Perry, 27, of Oak Street, was charged with various motor vehicle violations, including evading responsibility. Perry, who was not hurt, was being held Tuesday night at the police station, Lt. David Ellsworth said.

The accident happened at about 4:55 p.m. at Main and Center streets. The driver of a 2010 Chevrolet Impala hit the rear end of a school bus carrying eight children, ages 10-14, Ellsworth said. The children complained of bumped heads and headaches, but none required hospitalization, he said.

Read the full article here…

Injured Manchester EMT Focus Of Fundraising

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Carolyn Edwards 2

Carolyn Edwards in a photo taken last fall. She is holding Britton, a family friend’s daughter. (Doug Edwards / May 22, 2014)

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — Friends, coworkers and teammates are rallying in support of Carolyn Edwards, a beloved emergency medical technician who was badly hurt in a recent motorcycle accident.

“The reason everybody descended on this is that she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Ambulance Service of Manchester spokesman Dave Skoczulek said Thursday. “I’ve never heard her say a negative thing. She’s one of those people who’s always laughing, positive, upbeat. When this happened, it made a mess out of everybody and they came together as fast as they could.”

Read the original Courant article here…

Edwards, 36, of Manchester, was driving her motorcycle on East Center Street on the morning of May 6 when she collided with a car at the Vernon Street intersection, police have said. She was treated for head and arm injuries in the intensive care unit at Hartford Hospital, but was recently transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

Along with ASM, other organizations raising money to support Edwards’ family and help pay her medical bills include sports teams she belongs to, including the Hartford Wild Roses Women’s Rugby Team. The team is selling t-shirts with “#Carolynstrong” printed on the back. To purchase a t-shirt or a #carolynstrong bracelet, visit http://www.carolynstrong.org.

ASM employees also have been raising money through “cold water challenges,” which involve immersion in swimming pools and other chilly bodies of water. The company’s president and CEO, Wayne Wright, recently took part in one such challenge (see the video at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carolynstrong/1447016028872363).

Edwards, who was born in New York City, moved with her family to Manchester as a young girl and graduated from Manchester High School, ASM paramedic Kenya Russell said. Edwards, who is single and has no children, has been working for ASM for about five years. Russell said the two were frequent partners.

“She is consistently kind all the time, no matter what the scenario is,” Russell said. “We have stressful scenarios, but she’s always smiling.”

“She was like that as a little kid,” Edwards’ uncle, Doug Edwards, said.

Little by little, Edwards said, his niece’s condition is improving. Her great physical shape before the accident and the many friends she has made are helping, he said..

“Between her physical stamina and her relationships with people, I think that’s really the thing that makes her recovery go well,” Edwards said.

When Carolyn Edwards regains her health, friends plan to convert the fundraising organization they started after the accident into a standing foundation to benefit all emergency medical service workers in the state who face similar crises, Russell said.

Copyright © 2014, The Hartford Courant

Four Hurt In School Bus Crash In Rocky Hill

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hc-rocky-hill-school-bus-crash-0501-20140430-001By DAVID OWENS, The Hartford Courant

Read the full story here…

12:09 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2014

ROCKY HILL — Four people with minor injuries were taken by ambulance to area hospitals after an accident involving a school bus on northbound I-91 in Rocky Hill Wednesday morning.

Three children aboard the bus complained of pain.

Several ambulances were dispatched to the crash, near exit 23.

Ambulance Service of Manchester and Aetna Ambulance Service crews transported three children to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and one adult to Hartford Hospital.

The bus was carrying sixth graders from East Haven‘s Joseph Melillo Middle School to the Connecticut Science Center, school officials said.

State police were investigating. The crash was reported at 9:51 a.m.

ASM’s Alpha Five: Volume 6: Johnson Memorial Hospital Renovates EMS Work Area

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Note the ASM ambulance outside. From left to right: Patrick Mahon, chairman, JMMC Board of Directors; Neil Moynihan, M.D., president, JMH Medical Staff; Paul Wentworth, EMS coordinator; Beth Van Alstyne, senior director, Nursing; Patricia Jagoe, assistant vice president, Patient Care Services; Jennifer Moskal, Emergency Department manager; David Herr, M.D., chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine; and Stuart E. Rosenberg, president & CEO, JMMC. (Gregory Palmer / February 27, 2014)

Note the ASM ambulance outside. From left to right: Patrick Mahon, chairman, JMMC Board of Directors; Neil Moynihan, M.D., president, JMH Medical Staff; Paul Wentworth, EMS coordinator; Beth Van Alstyne, senior director, Nursing; Patricia Jagoe, assistant vice president, Patient Care Services; Jennifer Moskal, Emergency Department manager; David Herr, M.D., chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine; and Stuart E. Rosenberg, president & CEO, JMMC. (Gregory Palmer / February 27, 2014)

by Gregory Palmer Read the full Hartford Courant article here…

STAFFORD — In 2007 Alan and Terry Silver made a generous donation to Johnson Memorial Hospital (JMH) for the renovation of the EMS work area and lounge. Seven years later the room has been updated to better meet the needs of the EMS community. Hospital staff and EMS professionals recently gathered at JMH to celebrate the event and ribbon cutting. Johnson Memorial Medical Center, parent organization of JMH, is grateful for the dedication and support the EMS members provide throughout our service area and our surrounding communities.
About Johnson Memorial Medical CenterJohnson Memorial Medical Center (JMMC) is the parent organization of Johnson Memorial Hospital (JMH), Evergreen Health Care Center (EHCC) and Home & Community Health Services (H&CHS). JMMC provides a full spectrum of health care to those living and working in North Central Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts. For more information please visit: www.jmmc.com.