In recognition of its many activities and programs to educate the public, the town’s Ambulance Association received the 2009 Governor’s Annual EMS Volunteer Organization Achievement Award in May at the state Capitol in Hartford.
Educational Seminar Foundation, Inc. presents the annual award in three categories for municipal, volunteer and individual recipients. Each recipient is recognized for enhancing the understanding and support of Emergency Medical Services through its public service, community education and contributions to a city, town, region or the state as a whole.
Ambulance Association member Alicia Wilde has been a member for 20 years and said the association has “come a long way” in that time. Currently the association is made up of two full-time staffers, 36 volunteer members and 25 Explorers.
Wilde said the Explorers Program works in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America and is open to young people from age 14 to 20. It provides opportunities for those members to learn pre-hospital medicine, become certified in CPR and participate in extracurricular activities like blood pressure screenings at the Senior Center.
“We are moms, dads, neighbors and teachers that all come to donate our time to help out the community,” she said.
This year during National EMS Week in May, association members visited Quaker Farms School, where children in grades K- 2 are given an ambulance demonstration, taught how and when to call 9-1-1 and accident prevention.
“We tell the kids to wear elbow and knee pads on their bicycles and skateboards and talk to them about the ambulance,” Wilde said. “This is something we do every year.”
ESF Executive Director Paul Winfield Smith said nominees are reviewed by a seven member committee with representatives from emergency services, law enforcement and fire professionals from across the state.
“The committee looked at what they (ambulance association) had done,” he said. “They do a lot of training, awareness programs and community service. Their history and what they continue to do is they key to them winning this award.”
The town also became recognized as a Heart Safe Community through the State Department of Health in March.
Through a state grant currently all schools and public buildings and summer camps facilities are fully equipped with automated external defibrillators. The grant also provided training for all town employees to use the equipment.
Rich Shock, owner of Code One Training Solutions based in Hebron, provides training for towns in the state to become Heart Safe Communities. He said Oxford is one of 36 towns to be certified as a Heart Safe Community since 2007. He said the DPH is responsible for re-evaluating the equipment every three years and provides continual training for EMS staff.
Wilde said that with the over 55 community growing in town, it is even more important that these devices are available.
“Now there are people who are able to assist before the ambulance can get there,” she said.
Signs representing Oxford as a Heart Safe Community will be posted at the town borders.