 📊 2024 Year-End Report is here! 🚑 South Branch Emergency Services proudly reflects on a year of dedication, service, and impact in our community. From lifesaving ambulance runs to critical rescue operations, 2024 was a year of extraordinary teamwork and resilience. 🔍 Check out the highlights of our efforts and how we’ve made a difference together. Thank you for your continued support—it fuels our mission to serve with excellence! 📸 Swipe to see the stats for 2024. 💙 Together, we save lives. #SBES365 #YearEndReport #EmergencyServices #CommunityFirst 
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 The Rescue Company held its monthly drill last Tuesday, emphasizing concrete breaking, breaching, and anchor installation for lifting. Members acquired knowledge on distinguishing clean from dirty cuts, drilling techniques, anchor setting, stitch cuts, and effective use of cutoff saws with concrete blades. A one-hour tabletop discussion preceded practical demonstrations, discussing cement and concrete properties, rebar locations and cutting techniques, as well as stabilization and cribbing. Inspection core holes for audio/visual access were simulated prior to breaching. Step cuts were demonstrated once scenarios were complete. New members are always welcome. Visit www.sbes365.org for more information, or stop at our station anytime!
  During the recent monthly rescue drill, members of the Rescue Company focused on refining their rolling responses and revisiting fundamental techniques. The first scenario involved a motor vehicle collision requiring extrication to safely remove the driver and occupants. Our team executed efficient side and roof removals, successfully rescuing all individuals. The second scenario consisted of locating and assisting an injured hiker located 250 feet down a grassy slope. Our rescue crews had to set up a low-angle rope system to perform a victim retrieval. To accomplish this, we utilized our liter wheel and stokes basket, allowing rescuers to travel down to the victim and safely bring them back up. This exercise not only tested our technical rescue skills but also provided an opportunity for different members to step up into operational and command roles. By rotating members into different roles, we were able to gain a fresh perspective and benefit from the diverse experiences and expertise within our team. This approach allowed rescue members to take on the responsibility of developing the operational plan and executing it effectively. It empowered them to make decisions and lead the team with confidence. Interested in joining? Visit www.sbes365.org for more information! Our station was alerted to a fire on the roof across from our headquarters just before 9PM on Sunday night.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.  Senator Cory Booker and Public Safety Director Fahey review project progress at the new County Training Facility  Fahey discusses the inside uses of the brand new, state of the art training building with Kean inside one of the multi purpose rooms that can be used by law enforcement, rescue and fire students equally. 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.  2023 Life Saving Award for your Exemplary Performance and Commendable Actions in the Line of Duty 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! 200 Club of Hunterdon, 2023 HonoreesLife-Saving Award - Incident: Union Township Fire  (L to R) EMT/Firefighter Jason Mayer, South Branch Emergency Services EMT Patrick Kochanowski, South Branch Emergency Services Chief Sean Smith, High Bridge Fire Unit Citation Award - Incident: Union Township 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:
  On Sunday, April 2, Heavy Rescue 365 as well as two ambulances were dispatched with the Lebanon Borough Fire Company (Station 18) to a motor vehicle accident involving a car versus a house. Chief 18 arrived and established command, as well as updated the incoming units that the home sustained moderate damage. The vehicle was driven away from the home, and thankfully the driver was uninjured. Crews worked together to quickly develop a plan to shore up the home where the damage occurred. Although there was no life threat inside the building, it was located in a busy community, with elevated foot traffic. Crews placed temporary struts up once the power was secured, and debris was moved out of the way so temporary shoring could be constructed. Crews worked together to construct a 2 post vertical shore at just about 8 feet tall. Our 10 members operated on the scene from South Branch for just about 2 hours. Are you interested in BUILDING a better relationship with your community? That SHORE does sound like a great idea! Visit us at 48 Old Highway 22 in Clinton, NJ or check us out on the web, www.sbes365.org. On Saturday, South Branch Emergency Services Rescue Company was requested into Warren County, Washington Borough, for a person stuck in a car wash. Heavy Rescue 365 Responded with 4 members after dispatch, while Rescue 365 responded with 5 members a few minutes later. Upon arrival, Washington units had already started measures to begin to free the individual's leg, and crews from the Rescue Company assisted in the operation. Power and air supply to the car wash was secured, and crews quickly worked to develop a plan to remove the remaining equipment that was trapping the individual's leg in the wheel track of an automatic car wash, The Crews from South Branch worked on the scene for approximately 15 minutes before freeing the trapped victim, and in total Units were back and available within 25 minutes.  Union Township - January 24, 2023 This afternoon at 2:08 pm, South Branch Emergency Services was alerted along with numerous other agencies to a serious accident with injury, entrapment and fire on Van Syckels Rd, Union Township. One of our BLS units was staged per policy at Van Syckels and Rt 31 when the call came in and was on scene within a minute. Initial reports were of a tree trunk carrying logs on its side, with the cab pinning the driver between the truck and the tree. SBES’ Heavy Rescue arrived on scene with Chief Setnicky as IC and Assistant Chief Buchanan as Operations. Contact was made to the patient who was heavily entrapped using ladders to the top side of the vehicle. Due to the nature of the incident, additional resources were called to the scene, including Superior Towing with a heavy duty rotator wrecker to assist, and the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force. A primary plan, along with a second and third plan were worked to free the driver as additional resources arrived. Operations was transferred to County OEM Coordinator Fahey, who coordinated the 3 teams composed of the many responders on scene, all working the three plans until the driver was finally disentangled from the wreckage in just over 90 minutes from the time of the call. The patient was turned over to Pattenburg Rescue Squad and Hunterdon Medical Center’s MICU and transported with the flight crew from NorthStar Medevac to a landing zone where the patient was then flown to a trauma center in Pennsylvania for treatment. This was the second commercial truck accident in the last 2 weeks where many of the same volunteers and staff came together to help remove a patient from an accident involving a prolonged and technically challenging process. Due to the training available to our departments, and the regional teamwork shared between those assigned, the team had a successful outcome. SBES would like to thank all those involved for the great team work, establishing and working the plans to coordinate and successfully disengage this patient and get him to definitive care. We wish the patient a speedy recovery. High Bridge Fire Company Hampton Fire Department Pattenburg Rescue Squad Pattenburg Fire Department Hunterdon Medical Center MICU NorthStar Medevac New Jersey State Police - Perryville Barracks Superior Towing Glen Gardner Fire Company Bloomsbury Hose Company Hunterdon County Hazmat Hunterdon County OEM Hunterdon County Communications Center Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force, comprised of Flemington-Raritan First Aid & Rescue Squad Whitehouse First Aid Squad Lambertville Fire Department District #1 |
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