Partnering for Safety in your Community and Beyond
When an emergency happens in your community , what do you have in place to ensure members get the best response possible ?
In rural areas , characterized by back country roads and small town charm , it is an important question for organization leaders to ask – both for the benefit of the residents and for the employees or loved ones who live nearby .
Peconic Landing , a Continuing Care Retirement Community located on the North Fork of Long Island , is just a five-minute trip from its neighboring community hospital , Eastern Long Island Hospital . But when a serious emergency occurs , members must travel a half-hour to the nearest major medical center . This response is handled by the allvolunteer Greenport Fire Department . And while they are very capable , these department volunteers face a challenge with the influx of new seniors to the rural community .
“ When our organization first opened in 2002 , there was a contentious relationship between department volunteers and our community because of the increased pressure they felt we were putting on them ,” said Robert J . Syron , president and CEO of Peconic Landing . “ Working together with the department and through collaboration , we began creating solutions to benefit the greater community .”
Partnering with the local community was in the best interest of the organization and was a goal of the community ’ s social accountability program , said Mr . Syron , adding that solutions took shape over years of open communication . One of those solutions was opening its doors to the greater community to serve as an Emergency Evacuation Center for the town .
Because the community is located on high ground , the campus offers refuge from the rising tides that can flood nearby homes and businesses . During Hurricane Sandy , Peconic Landing housed more than 70 individuals , many of them patients from a nearby community hospital that had lost power .
“ This provides our local emergency personnel with a haven to evacuate our neighbors to during storms , including hurricanes and blizzards ,” Mr . Syron said . “ When a storm is approaching , we have a place at the table planning with our town officials . This keeps us in the know and that ’ s a very good place to be .”
Most recently , Peconic Landing expanded its social accountability program to train and incentivize team members to become Emergency Medical Technicians ( EMT ). Once certified , these individuals can respond to any on-campus emergencies and are encouraged to help in the greater community whenever possible .
Interested employees take Suffolk County ’ s six-month certification program free of
( Continued )
37 Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Fall 2016