May 15, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer ambulance corps welcomes new members by Jennifer Crusco Gordon Hamm, captain of the Ho-Ho-Kus Ambulance Corps, recently reported that recruitment is on the rise. Eight new members have signed on for duty. According to Hamm, the new members include two women who have started training for driver/lifter positions, two individuals who just completed the first responder class, and four high school students who will be taking the emergency medical technician The Ho-Ho-Kus Ambulance Corps is headquartered in the borough hall complex. class during the summer. Hamm said he hopes six or seven corps members will The organization, he said, now has approximately receive rope rescue certification this year. 20 to 24 active members, and more are welcome. Hamm Training also includes tabletop exercises and refresher said EMT Karen Zatorski has been working with him on classes that include patient assessment, splinting, bandagrecruitment. Interested individuals may visit www.hhkvac. ing, and hazmat instruction. org or call borough hall at (201) 652-4400. The corps provided coverage at the Waldwick ChamHamm said the corps recently received donations that ber of Commerce’s recent 5K, and will be assisting at the made it possible for the borough’s organization to donate upcoming lacrosse tournament in Franklin Lakes. its old stretchers and oxygen bottles to another agency. He Hamm, who created the new website for the corps, said added that the corps now has new uniforms, and has started he plans to fully computerize the organization’s operations, mutual aid training with Midland Park and Waldwick. He an effort he said began last year. He pointed out that the explained that workshops are held in the three towns, with corps is now using an IM responding program that allows each participating municipality taking a turn as host. the ambulance corps and police department to call into a The corps members have also been busy with CPR cer- site and immediately see which responders will be hantifications and blood-borne pathogen training renewals. dling each call. He explained that eDispatch sends dispatch In addition, the membership has been undergoing “rope information directly to emergency personnel’s cell phones. rescue” training, which Hamm said involves rappelling Hamm was sworn in as captain of the Ho-Ho-Kus exercises for EMTs. Last year, Hamm was certified in rope Volunteer Ambulance Corps earlier this year, succeeding rescue as were long-time volunteers Carol and Gary Tyler. long-time captain Carol Tyler. Tyler is currently the organi- zation’s president. Hamm joined the ambulance corps as a driver in 2009 while he was still a member of the Ho-Ho-Kus Council. He then became an emergency medical technician, and was subsequently promoted to crew chief, and then lieutenant.