Celebrating "Our Proudest Moment", the 200 Club of Hunterdon County held their 2023 Valor and Merit Awards Dinner earlier this evening in Kingwood Township.  Two of the recipients included South Branch Emergency Service volunteers EMT/FF Jason Mayer and EMT Patrick Kochanowski.  Along with High Bridge Fire Chief Sean Smith, Mayer, and Kochanowski were awarded the only Live Saving Award of the year for actions taken in the early morning hours of May 1, 2022, at a large residential fire in a multi-unit dwelling in Union Township, Hunterdon County.   

The submission for their award read as follows:
On May 1, 2022, South Branch Emergency Services was dispatched with numerous fire departments for a building fire with people trapped.  An ambulance from SBES was first to arrive on the scene in less than 5 minutes from dispatch to find a large condo building involved in fire with 3 people that had jumped from the 2nd and 3rd floors to escape. (EMTs) Jason and Patrick immediately began to render aid to those that were seriously injured.  They worked for several minutes by themselves until additional units arrived.  Jason and Patrick kept calm under pressure and the severity of the injured in providing the best care to those in need, they triages as needed and had others assist when possible until other ambulances and personnel arrived.  The crew called for medical helicopters and additional Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support units to evacuate the injured to a regional burn center and a local trauma center.   The direct actions by volunteers EMT/FF Mayer and EMT Kochanowski led to successful outcomes for all those seriously injured. 

Chief Smith, one of the first arriving Chiefs on the scene, was directed by bystanders and the NJSP personnel on the scene to a woman hanging out a window several stories up with heavy fire behind her.  Chief Smith ascended the Clinton Fire Department's Ladder Truck and approached the disoriented woman.   While making the rescue and descending the ladder truck, both Chief Smith and the burned, disoriented victim who had tried to get away from her rescuer, lost their footing, which resulted in a fall from the ladder to a NJSP State Trooper below. 

Additional residents were evacuated by the quick actions of additional State Troopers and arriving firefighters, including one elderly resident who was still asleep in bed and successfully removed uninjured.  

Congratulations to all involved, especially our very own members, for doing what you train to do, but luckily rarely have to use to their full potential.  Great job all! 

(L to R) EMT/Firefighter Jason Mayer, South Branch Emergency Services
EMT Patrick Kochanowski, South Branch Emergency Services 
Chief Sean Smith, High Bridge Fire

Sergeant Michael Delgaizo, NJSP
Trooper Juan Jacome, NJSP
Trooper Filip Konieczkowski, NJSP
Trooper Zachary Manley, NJSP

In addition to South Branch Emergency Services, High Bridge Fire Department, and NJSP, other honorees included members of:

• Clinton Township Police Department
  
• Flemington Borough Police Department
• Hunterdon County Office of Emergency Management
  
• Lambertville Fire Department
  
• Lambertville Police Department

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.