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.

This past week, career Rescue Lt. Wes Hockin attended and successfully completed the All-Hazards Incident Management/Unified Command course at Texas A&M TEEX's Emergency Operations Center in College Station, Texas.

The Enhanced Incident Management / Unified Command for All Hazards course focuses on incident management skills, staff responsibilities, and related situational awareness skills using a computer-driven training simulation designed to create a challenging decision-making environment in an expanding complex incident.

The course focuses on the processes used in an Incident Command Post (ICP) and the key decision-making requirements within that response node. Command and coordination, resource management, and communications & information management are emphasized. Participants learn from the cause and effects of incident decisions while performing in an ICP and responding to a variety of simulated, notional exercises.

Lt. Hockin joined 39 other Incident Managers from across the county for this 5-day Federally-funded program.  During the resident program, Wes held the positions of Situation Unit Leader, Unified Command, Medical Unit Leader, and Deputy Operations Section Chief, during fast-paced, stressful scenarios.  He will use these skills as part of his everyday work here at SBES, but also in his role as a member of the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force, and the Situation Unit Leader for the NJ EMS Task Force.  

The course is delivered at the National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center/Emergency Operations Training Center (NERRTC/EOTC). The instructional team consists of coaches and mentors experienced in emergency management and incident response. The course uses a multi-disciplinary approach to accomplish the course objectives. Each participant is integrated into a unified command structure responding to a simulated incident. The course emphasizes the application of contemporary incident management systems, best practices, and procedures to the unique requirements of responding to all-hazards incidents.

The incident management structure used in the course is based on National Incident Management System (NIMS) doctrine and the Incident Command System (ICS), and is certified by the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) National Training and Exercise Division (NTED).

Lt. Hockin follows several other SBES members and officers who have attended this outstanding, hands-on learning experience. "It was cool to have everyone from all over the Country working together", Hockin stated after the training.  "All with different backgrounds and training". 

​Great job Wes!

#TEEX #FEMA #SBES365

Clinton, NJ...South Branch Emergency Services (SBES) will launch a paid EMT
apprenticeship program in February and now seeks applicants for the inaugural class.
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“The new South Branch Emergency Services EMT Apprenticeship Program will allow us to
train and hire more EMTs - something we must do to meet the growing demand for SBES
services,” said SBES Chief Frank Setnicky. “The program will also have a tremendous impact on the lives of our apprentices,” Setnicky added. “Training won’t cost them anything – in fact, we will pay them to train. Then, those who successfully complete the program will be offered an EMT position and a raise.”

Annandale, NJ – Chief Thomas DeRosa, Chief of the Clinton Township Police, and Chief Frank Setnicky, Chief of the South Branch Emergency Services, announce the return of the Clinton Township Junior Police & Emergency Services Academy.

The program will run from June 27 th through July 1 st , 2022, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open to individuals age 12-16 who have an interest in learning more about the public safety career path.

Planned activities for the week include marching, physical training, exposure to simulated police work, emergency first aid training, classroom time, guest speakers, presentations and a trip to the Freedom Tower.

Applicants will be screened and preference will be given to Clinton Township residents.

There is no charge, however class size is capped at 30 participants; all applications received from qualified applicants will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The application process will close on June 10, 2022 at 4:00 pm and participants will be notified of their acceptance thereafter.

Applications are available at the Clinton Township Police Department, 1370 Route 31, Annandale or online at www.ctpd.org 

By Caroline Fassett | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

South Branch Emergency Services, a rescue squad that serves a number of communities throughout Hunterdon County, held a rescue drill at the Round Valley Recreation Area in Clinton Township on Sunday morning.

The training involved both the ground and water units rescuing three hikers in distress as well as victims of an overturned boat in the water. The victim actors were members of the squad.

A total of 32 first responders operated two boats, three ambulances, and a rescue truck throughout the successful drill, which lasted about two and a half hours.

South Branch Emergency Services serves the Town of Clinton, Clinton Township, Lebanon Borough, High Bridge Borough and portions of Franklin Township, Bethlehem Township, and Union Township.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
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Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com.

​Rich Maxwell | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
First Responder Hone their Skills with a Land/Water Rescue Drill
The training involved first responders rescuing victim actors in distress as well as victims of an overturned boat in the water.

On Monday April 12, 2021, firefighters from the Clinton Fire Department, joined by EMS and Rescue personnel from South Branch Emergency Services, conducted a large-scale drill at the former A&P property. Firefighters were able to train on commercial roof ventilation, oriented-search techniques, and sprinkler operations. CFD and SBES members were able to cross-train with each other and work together.

SBES members trained on ways to access trapped victims by using cameras, pneumatic air tools and battery powered saws to breach concrete walls inside the building.  This gave more experienced rescue members the ability to work with newer members to learn different techniques and way s to access a patient that the rescuer is not in immediate direct contact with.

Access to a large commercial structure for training is an opportunity that does not come up often and allows us to train in ways not typically available to us. Special thanks to the Ingerman Group for allowing us access to the property before it is torn down.

During the week of 3/29-4/2, Operations Lieutenant Ryan Clancy traveled to Annapolis, Maryland to attend a USFA Type 3 Intro to All Hazards Incident Management Team (O-305) hosted by the Maryland AHIMT and taught by KPN Consulting. 

This five-day, forty hour course serves as a basic introduction to the activities and processes of a Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT), enabling him to be better prepared to support large scale or complex operations in the communities. The course takes the "Planning P", what is learned in previous ICS/NIMS courses and gets broken down to understand each segment of the planning process for an incident. Lt. Clancy who recently joined the New Jersey All Hazards Incident Management Team through.

SBES was mixed in with classmates from Virginia and Maryland. Lt Clancy throughout the week took the roles of Incident Commander, Logistic Section Chief, and Operations Section Chief; all these roles have specific tasks that have to be completed within the operational period of the two high stress simulated exercises that were provided by the instructors. 
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Thank you to the Incident Management Team of Maryland for the hospitality and look forward to possibly taking more classes together in the future!