Congratulations to volunteer EMT Kate Zelig, who graduated earlier today from Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Kate joined SBES in October 2020 and obtained her EMT last summer.  She graduated with honors as part of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, and English Honor Society.  She was President of the Latin Honor Society and Secretary of rho kappa, which is the HCRHS social studies Honor Society.  

EMT Zelig will be heading off to Tulane University where she is entering pre-med as a Neuroscience Major.  

As she prepares for college, she notes, "Thank you for the support and experience!  Couldn't have done it without SBES!"

Best of Luck Kate!  

Congratulations to Volunteer EMT Elizabeth Shalashova, who graduated today from North Hunterdon High School.  Liz, who is from Clinton Township, joined the Squad in August 2020 and completed her EMT program with us.

Following graduation Liz will be headed off to the US Air Force Academy in July, where she plans on being assigned to the Aerospace Medical Service.  

Best of luck in Basic Liz, and thank you for continuing your service!  

Congratulations to Cadet Volunteer Lily Melworm on her graduation for North Hunterdon High School today.   Lily, from Clinton township, joined us as a Cadet in December 2020.  

In the fall Lily will be heading to University of Vermont to study Neuroscience.  She received both a Presidential Scholarship from the University.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Tanner Rogers a Cadet with South Branch Emergency Services, who graduated today from North Hunterdon High School with National Honors Society recognition.

Tanner is a member of our Rescue Company as a Rescue Apprentice, joining us back in October 2020.

After a quick summer break, Tanner is headed to Penn State University Main Campus.  Congratulations!!  

Congratulations to EMT Kellyn Bucceri on her graduation this past weekend from Gill St Bernard's School.  Kellyn will be headed to Purdue University to study Biomedical Health Science Pre-Med this fall.

Kellyn joined the department in May 2020 as a cadet, completed her EMT and is now a volunteer Team Member here at South Branch.

Great Job EMT Bucceri! 

Congratulations to EMT Yaseen Mahmoud on his graduation last weekend from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute  where he majored in Mechanical Engineering & Information Technology and Web Science.  

Yaseen joined our team in August 2017 as a Cadet, earned his EMT and continues to volunteer with the department as a volunteer Team Member

Congratulations Yaseen!

Congratulations to Rylee Legreide, who graduated earlier this month from East Stroudsburg University, with a degree in Public Health concentration in Health Service Administration.

EMT Legreide joined the South Branch family as a per diem career EMT in May 2020, and continues to serve with us today.  

Great Job Rylee!

GRADUATE: Kaitlyn Schoendorf

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Schoendorf, a volunteer who became part of the SBES family as part of our merger with the Hampton Emergency Squad earlier this year.  Kaitlyn completed her studies with an Associate of Arts in Psychology from Raritan Valley Community College. 

Unfortunately we wish Kaitlyn Schoendorf best of luck as she departs our area, and thank her for her past service to both organizations.  

Congratulations to our Engineer Jason Mayer, a volunteer with SBES  who graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.S. Information Technology. 

Engineer Mayer joined our agency as a volunteer in December 2016, obtained his EMT, and quickly became a Team Leader.  He has also held the position of EMS Lieutenant, and is an active volunteer with the Town of Clinton Fire Department.

​Jason was a recipient of the Colonel Fairleigh S Dickinson Scholarship at the University.  

CLINTON, NJ—South Branch Emergency Services (SBES) announced January 4, 2022, that it has appointed long-time volunteer chief Frank Setnicky as the organization’s first full-time paid chief.

The decision to reconfigure SBES’s top job was two-fold, said SBES President Sharon Burham.

The chief’s responsibilities have grown significantly, along with an increase in service area and people served. In 2020, the former Clinton First Aid & Rescue and High Bridge Emergency squads merged to create SBES. On January 1, 2022, Hampton Emergency Squad and SBES completed their merger.

When deputy chief of EMS/operations Bucky Buchanan announced he would leave SBES to serve on the New Jersey EMS Task Force, “It seemed like the right time to combine most of the two leadership positions into a single, full-time, paid role,” Burham said. “We were very lucky that Frank—with his years of experience in volunteer and career EMS leadership, his vast knowledge of the profession, and the tremendous relationships he already has with our career and volunteer staff—was available.”

Setnicky has led SBES and the former Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad for decades. He already had six years’ experience as a volunteer EMT when he joined Clinton in 1984, and has been chief for the majority of those years. He also has significant experience as a full-time paid EMT and EMS chief.

Setnicky retired in fall 2021 as chief of Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, a job he held for 15 years. He had served Princeton as a career EMT for the previous two decades.

As of January 1 when the merger with Hampton took effect, Setnicky is now overseeing the emergency services that SBES offers to the town of Clinton, Clinton Township, Lebanon Borough, High Bridge Borough, Hampton, Glen Gardner and portions of Bethlehem, Franklin, Union, and Tewksbury townships. He will lead 90 volunteers, 32 career EMTs, and 15 instructors who teach the courses offered at the SBES Training Center.

“Now, I will have even more time to commit to South Branch Emergency Services than when I volunteered here but worked full time elsewhere,” Setnicky said. “I will still ride the ambulance once a week, as I do now.”

Setnicky’s expanded role includes direct supervision of paid staff members along with payroll and other administrative tasks. He will now be the squad’s liaison with community leaders.

Setnicky and Burham both acknowledged the contributions Buchanan has made to first Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad and now SBES, and thanked him for his dedication.
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“Bucky brought us a long way, and did a terrific job as the day-to-day face of the squad. He has put us in a great position to move forward,” Setnicky said. “We will miss him, but we’re happy for him. And he has promised us that he will still help if his help is needed.”