charge and upon certification, are incentivized with an
increase of $1 an hour in compensation.
“This allows our members to receive the help they need in
the quickest way possible, cutting down on the response
time,” said Darryl Volinski, director of environmental
services and also a past chief of the Greenport Fire
Department. “It also takes pressure off our local
department as fewer volunteers are required to respond to
the community depending on the type of call.”
Peconic Landing member Joanne Barratt said “time is
everything” when your loved one is in need.
“When I got to Peconic Landing I discovered a new level
of excellence in EMT response. They came to our home
more than once when my husband was ill. They come not
only quickly, but they come knowing who you are. You
are not just a phone call or address of someone in trouble;
you are like family,” said Ms. Barratt. “I think it made quite
a difference in my husband’s longevity. It gives me great
peace of mind knowing that I never have to worry here.”
“Most recently they assisted with an explosion at a local
boat yard, caring for a man who had been burned in the
blast,” Mr. Volinski said. “We are glad to help in any way
that we can.”
The EMT program comes at a time when enrollment
for fire department volunteers has been on a decline,
something that is being seen on a national level, according
to fire department officials.
Regarding the costs to Peconic Landing, Mr. Syron said
the benefits to the community outweigh the costs of
the programming.
“We don’t look at these initiatives for a return on
investment, we look at it as the right thing to do,” Mr.
Syron said. “This is where we live and work and these
solutions help make our overall community stronger
which is the global philosophy behind our social
accountability program.”
Since the 2014 inception of the EMT program, the
organization has 15 certified EMTs on staff, with at least
two responders working on campus at any given time. As
an added benefit to the greater community, these team
members can also assist with calls off campus so long as
one trained individual remains on campus for members at
all times.
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