​By TAPinto North Hunterdon Staff
Published April 14, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Reposted from: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/north-hunterdon/sections/police-and-fire/articles/event-raises-money-for-open-cupboard-food-pantry-and-thrift-shop

CLINTON TOWN, NJ - On April 11th, the Red Mill Museum Village hosted a community-wide fundraiser to benefit the Open Cupboard Food Pantry and Thrift Shop. The event raised over $2,500.00. Carol Beader, President of The Guild of Clinton and Chris Phelan, President of The Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce presented a check to Jennifer Tavormina, Executive Director of The Open Cupboard Food Pantry and Thrift Shop. 

Chief Jeff Hedden from the Clinton Fire Department and Chief Frank Setnicky of South Branch Emergency Services, Inc. each received a Proclamation and Keys to the City from Mayor Janice Kovach of Clinton Town. Carol Beader from the Clinton Guild and Chris Phelan from the Hunterdon Chamber of Commerce both presented the chiefs with plaques. The chiefs accepted the awards on behalf of their teams’ heroic actions fighting the recent fire that destroyed The Open Cupboard Food Pantry and Thrift Shop and Walgreens.
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The event was emceed by Dr. D Entertainment and sponsored by the Guild of Clinton, the Town of Clinton, the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce and the Red Mill Museum Village.

March Students of the Month
RHEA NAGABHYRU
CLASS OF 2024
​Senior, Rhea Nagabhyru has been a class officer for the past four years. Rhea is a member of National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, English Honor Society, Technical Honor Society, History Honor Society, and the Society of Women in Engineering. She is President of the Research Club and is a mentor and teaching assistant in Biomed. Rhea’s favorite classes she has taken at North Hunterdon have been AP Seminar and Intro to Biomedical Engineering. Next year, she plans on majoring in Biomedical Engineering at whichever college she attends. Rhea is a volunteer EMT at South Branch Emergency Services and a camp counselor in the summer where she earned a Presidential Service Award. She currently has over 1,000 service hours from these two places. Rhea also helps out at her family business, Color Me Mine. Some things Rhea loves about her four years at North were Freshman Field Day, attending the football games, attending the school dances, and the many classes she has taken. She has loved these classes because of the teachers who ran them, friends she made while taking the class, and how interesting the classes were. Rhea says North is a really friendly and supportive community where she was fortunate enough to meet wonderful peers and staff while being able to pursue all her academic interests freely and with excellence.

📣🦞🥩 Exciting News Alert! 🎉🎈

📅 Save the date: May 19, 2024, from 4-7pm on East Main St in the Town of Clinton! 📅

🎟️ Tickets are now available for purchase! 🎟️

​🤝 Sponsorship opportunities await! 🤝

Join us for a sizzling celebration featuring:
🦞 Fresh Lobster Delights
🥩 Mouthwatering Steaks
🎉 Street Festival Fun

🚨 Don't wait!! Tickets will be going FAST 🚨

🍹 For those 21 & Over, don't forget your ID! We'll be serving responsibly. 🍹

Visit www.sbes365.org/lobster to secure your spot in this inaugural foodie fiesta! Let's make history deliciously unforgettable! 🥳🍽️

#SBESLobsterSteakFest #FoodieFun #TownofClintonDelights #SBES365

Members of the Water Rescue team executed a successful monthly exercise at Round Valley Reservoir on Tuesday evening, focusing on vital boat maneuvers and familiarizing themselves with key campsite areas and landmarks in the vicinity. Our attention remains fixed on ensuring preparedness for evolving water conditions during the post-dam construction phase, guaranteeing optimal response strategies. The night concluded with members conducting cold water entries, and night swimming.
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Interested in joining the Water Rescue Team as an associate member? Visit www.sbes365.org to learn more.

We're thrilled to announce our first Family and Friends CPR training session of 2024! 🚑 Join us for a life-saving experience that's open to all, at absolutely no cost to the communities we serve. 💙 Enroll now for free at www.sbes365.org/ffcpr and let's learn together! #SavingLives #CommunityFirst #SBES365 🌟

Last evening just before 9pm, South Branch Emergency Services, Inc., along with the Clinton Fire Department and a full 2nd alarm assignment, handled a strip mall fire across the street from our headquarters on Old Rt 22 in the Town of Clinton. Our response featured not only 6 BLS Ambulances but also 2 Rescue Trucks, and our Firefighter REHAB Unit, which was supported by the Clinton Township CERT team and 2 paramedic units from Hunterdon Medical Center 

On behalf of South Branch Emergency Services, we would like to congratulate Christopher Querry, on being selected as a Rescue Specialist with New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1. NJ-TF1 is New Jersey's state urban search and rescue team, as well as 1 of 28 federal task forces designated by FEMA, to respond to disasters around the United States as part of a National urban search and rescue team.

Chris started in the process of becoming part of NJ-TF1 in the fall of 2023. Just like many careers, it consisted of an application process, oral interview, review of training and experience, and rescue skills evaluation. Chris was one of 20 selected throughout the entire state.

Chris started in December 2014 as a cadet with "Clinton First Aid and Rescue Squad." Once Chris turned 18, it was only a short time before his knowledge and character brought him into the Rescue Lieutenant Position. Through continuous training and experience, Chris eventually became the Rescue Company Captain. Both of these roles were during the time Chris was a volunteer. Chris eventually made the step and transferred to the career side of the organization in October of 2021, and became our career Rescue Lieutenant.

Chris was always so interested in the field of fire and rescue services, as well as continuing education, he continued on to become an Instructor with Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Academy. After some time, Chris continued on his career path (and ultimate achievement) and became a career fireman. Chris has returned "home" to the volunteer side of the rescue company as a Senior Rescue Specialist when time permits. Chris is also Hunterdon County's OEM-3 (Office of Emergency Management) and operates with emergency planning of technical rescues and disaster situations. Chris was a staple in advancing the rescue company during his time with us. Chris is always full of innovative ideas and is incredible at all of the various hats he wears.

​We wish him our deepest congratulations for this excellent achievement!

After over ten years in the making, last week SBES’ Chief Frank Setnicky and Administrative Chief Bucky Buchanan had the opportunity to meet with local, County and Federally elected officials to tour the first if 3 phases of the new, expanded construction at the Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center in the Annandale section of Clinton Township.

Setnicky and Buchanan, who have both represented the County’s EMS Chiefs Association and the services provided by local EMS/Rescue providers since the inception of the project, were joined by other committee members from the Fire Chiefs Association, Police Chiefs Association and Training Center instructors for a tour of phase 1, the “burn building” and initial technical rescue training props. The tour was designed to give a first hand loom to the County Commissioners who have provided the funding for the majority of the initial phase, as well as to Senator Cory Booker and Representative Tom Kean, who helped secure additional funding for expanding the classroom space, as well as addition a backup facility for the county’s 9-1-1 site located in Cherryville section of Franklin Township.

During the tour, lead by Public Safety Director Brayden Fahey, a walk through showed the current status and locations for the future projects, the administrative and classroom building, parking areas and vehicle storage building, all items that are greatly lacking at the current, aging facility, sitting just in poor shape just just away from the updated complex.

Local officials from Clinton Township and the Town of Clinton were joined by County Commissioners, County Sheriff, County Prosecutor, County Administrator and staff from both Booker and Kean’s offices over the 2 day visit.

The new facility has already begun hosting technical rescue training programs attended by our rescue company volunteers, and will soon be open for firefighter training. Once phase 2 is complete, plans are in place to utilize the new space and expand the current EMT program we offer to the entire county, which is supported by the County DPS.

SBES would like to thank all those involved so far for making all this possible for the better preparedness of not only our responders, but those across the County and region.

we look forward to continuing to work with the committee and all those who have helped secure the funding to date, as well as the funding necessary to complete future additions that will provide for safe, realistic training for all our responders.

Congratulations to EMT Jessica Bartelloni on her recent graduation from American Public University with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology.

Instead of "walking" for her graduation, Jessica, who is currently our full-time Operations Lieutenant, decided to go to her happiest place on earth, Disney World.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude, which is a great reason to celebrate.   

Lt. Bartelloni joined the SBES family in June of 2022 and was promoted into the Ops Lt. position last November.  

Up next?  Jessica will be working towards her Masters in Public Administration.