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.”

We would like to thank all the team members who will be completing their officer positions this year, and for your volunteer service.  

The Employment Committee of South Branch Emergency Services, Inc is pleased to announce the promotion of per diem EMT/FF Ryan Nelson to the position of Full Time EMT/Operations Lieutenant.  He will be replacing Lt. Ryan Clancy who departed SBES in August for a position in the Murfreesboro Tennessee Fire Department.  

Lt. Nelson is no stranger to SBES!  He joined our team through the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad as a per diem EMT back in October 2006.  Ryan has served many roles here at SBES, including Per Diem, Part Time and Full Time EMT, volunteer on our Rescue Company as a Rescue Tech/Firefighter, as well as many other organizations.  

Ryan got his start in Emergency Services following in both his parents footsteps back in 2002, joining the Hampton Fire Company.   Since that time he has served many, many departments, in several states, including the Milford-Holland Rescue Squad, Hampton Emergency Squad, East Whitehouse Fire Department, St Lukes EMS, Hunterdon Medical Center Security, and the list can continue.   He is also Past-Chief of Hampton Emergency Squad

In his spare time, the few moments he isn't working, Ryan enjoys spending time with his son Chase traveling to street fairs, race tracks, backyard farming and camping.

We welcome Ryan back to the full time team, now as an officer here at SBES!

South Branch Emergency Services, Inc. is pleased to announce the officers that will lead us into our first full year of operation:

Line Officers
Chief - Frank Setnicky
Deputy Chief - Chris Miller
Deputy Chief of EMS - H. Bucky Buchanan
Battalion Chief Station 36-1 - Joseph Olivo
Battalion Chief Station 36-3 - JT Silliman
Captain Rescue - Chris Querry
Captain EMS - James Race Jr
Lt Training - Michelle Gardner
Lt. Operations  - Ryan Clancy
Lt. Rescue - Wes Hockin
Lt. EMS - Carol Dorf

Administrative Line
President - Sharon Burham
President-Elect - Melanie Sloyer
Vice President - Scott Jarvis
Vice President - Brian Turner
Secretary - Laura Gimson
Treasurer - Chuck Collins
Financial Secretary - TBA

Board of Trustees
Scott Jarvis (2021)
Brian Turner (2022)
Becky Setnicky (2022)
James Harris (2023)
Jessica Hoos (2023)

Congratulations to you all, and thank you to all that have served before you.   

The Employment Committee of South Branch Emergency Services, Inc is pleased to announce the promotion of EMT/FF Ryan Clancy to the position of Full Time EMT/Operations Lt.   

Lt. Clancy joined SBES through the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad in August 2018, as a per diem EMT in our trainee program, after having completed his EMT course work at the Clinton EMS Training Center. 

Ryan follows in his parents footsteps of Emergency Services, and joined the Clinton Fire Department as a junior firefighter back in 2015.  He followed that in another volunteer position with Mansfield EMS in 2016, earned his NJ EMT, and rose to the rank of Lt,  He continues to volunteer with the Clinton Fire Department, and also served with the Mansfield Twp Fire Company from 2016 through earlier this year.  He is currently employed as a 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatcher in the Warren County Communications Center. 

Having become a CPR instructor with our Training Center, Lt. Clancy has continued his personal growth, and recently began the process to become a NJ EMT Instructor through our Aide position.  

We welcome Ryan to the officer team here at SBES!

Congratulations Adrian VanNatta of Union Township, who graduated earlier this month from North Hunterdon High School.  Adrian currently services as a Cadet member and joined us through High Bridge Emergency Squad in October 2016.  

Cadet VanNatta joins a long list of family members who have served in the Hunterdon County EMS community, and we are proud to have him as part of our team.  

He has helped in many ways with our social media and web presence over the past couple of years, and produced the inspiration behind what has become the new department patch for South Branch Emergency Services.  

​Adrian will be headed off to school for Automotive and Diesel mechanics in the near future.   Way to go Adrian! 

Congratulations to SBES EMT Estelle Yeung on your graduation with High Honors from the Hunterdon County Biomedical Sciences Academy and North Hunterdon High School!  

Estelle joined Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad in January 2019, going on to complete her studies and earning her NJ and National EMT in September 2019, and remains an active volunteer with South Branch Emergency Services. 

During her senior year, EMT Yeung received the following awards:

• Seal of Biliteracy for French
• North Hunterdon Award for Excellence in the Study of Foreign Language - French
• AP + PLTW Achievement in Biomedical Science.  

EMT Yeung will be headed off to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this fall.  Congrats and great job Estelle! 

Congratulations to EMT Zachary Ailara of Frenchtown, who graduated yesterday from North Hunterdon High School.   Zach joined the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad as a Cadet in November 2018 after meeting us as a student with Hunterdon County Vocational School District's Biomedical Sciences Academy. 

Having completed his EMT training in our 2019 summer class, Zach quickly completed his steps to becoming a volunteer Team Member serving our communities.  

He graduated with High Honors, a member of the National Tech Society, graduate of the BioMed program, and member of Science  Honors Society.   Zach is also the recipient of the Hunterdon-Warren Scholar Athlete award.   

After some time off, we're sure playing soccer, over the summer, EMT Ailara will be headed to Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.  

Outstanding Job Zach! 

Congratulations out to our latest volunteer Briana Bothe on your graduation for Hunterdon Central High School.  Briana joined the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad as a cadet member in 2018, and completed her EMT Training last year.  

Graduating from HCRHS with Honors, EMT Bothe also received a $1,000 scholarship from the George Daly Memorial Scholarship Foundation.   

The George Daly Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor a cherished son, brother and friend whom was lost on February 12, 2015.  George graduated with high honors in 2013 from HCRHS, where he was a member o the National Honor Society, Student Council, and was a team leader in Teen PEP.  

At the end of the summer, Briana will be headed off to the University of Georgia!   WAY TO GO from all your fellow members of South Branch Emergency Services!