The July 4 holiday is a busy time of year for Rebekah Garcia and her team at Mohawk Ambulance Service. She says extra staff will be on to handle the expected increase in fireworks-related injuries.
“A lot of those situations, with burns especially, they can lead to infections and stuff like that,” said Garcia, a paramedics supervisor.
If you do encounter an injury, Garcia says it’s important to control the bleeding with pressure until first responders arrive. She says if that doesn’t work, then use a tourniquet.
“If it’s a burn, just try and keep it clean,” Garcia said. “Do the best you can, honestly.”
According to Garcia, they usually treat burns to the hands. But depending on where the trauma may be, she says it could be life-threatening.
“Evaluate the patient and if they are very critical then we get them going pretty quickly,” Garcia said. “We also have other methods. We can call for a helicopter.”
Garcia says injuries occur when people are not using the fireworks responsibly. She says to make sure you’re doing things appropriately.
“Safety, safety. Hydration. Stay cool. Have fun,” Garcia said. “But just use your head.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Mohawk Ambulance Service crew members David Battaglia and Julia Westcott were among several EMS providers from New York State to meet with Sen. Charles E. Schumer during the American Ambulance Association’s (AAA) annual Stars of Life event in Washington, DC.
Battaglia, an EMT & Driver Training Officer and Westcott, and EMT & Field Training Officer were among four Mohawk Ambulance crew members to be honored with a Star of Life Medal this year. Chief Supervisor John Large and Chief Supervisor, Communications & EMT Adam Nato were also selected to receive the award. The four award recipients join 17 other Mohawk Ambulance servicemen and women who have been honored with the Star of Life medal.
At the meeting, Battaglia presented Sen. Schumer with a Legislative Recognition Award on behalf of AAA. The award recognizes the Senator’s dedication to issues of importance to ambulance providers.
AAA represents hundreds of ambulance services across the United States which provide emergency and non-emergency care and medical transportation to more than 75 percent of the U.S. population. The Association’s annual Stars of Life awards publicly recognize and celebrate the achievements of its members.
Mohawk Ambulance Service is proud to announce that four of its crew members are being honored by the American Ambulance Association (AAA) with a Star of Life medal, the highest award that an emergency medical service worker can receive. They are:
John Large, Chief Supervisor
Adam Nato, Chief Supervisor, Communications & EMT
Julia Westcott, EMT & Field Training Officer
David Battaglia, EMT & Driver Training Officer
The four will be among 100 EMS workers from around the country to receive the recognition at the Association’s 20th annual event held in Washington, D.C. next month.
Large began his EMT career as an explorer with Mohawk Ambulance at the age of 13, and has now been with the company for 31 years. In addition to his work as an EMT, he has also been a volunteer firefighter and officer for 38 years. Large is known by his peers to be dedicated, committed, hardworking, professional, and kind. He has devoted his life to public service in EMS and as a volunteer firefighter. John has earned the utmost respect from Mohawk’s employees, our volunteer and municipal fire departments, and his patients alike.
Nato began his career in EMS volunteering with Castleton Fire/Ambulance where he acquired his EMT card in 2009. He was hired at Mohawk Ambulance Service in December of 2016 as a Dispatcher, and soon began working regularly as an EMT. His continuous dedication and professionalism quickly landed him a position as Supervisor, and soon after, Chief Supervisor. Nato still volunteers in his free time, but now with Defreestville Fire Department which is close to his home. He received the company’s Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
Westcott joined Mohawk as an EMT-B at age 20, and now also serves as a Field Training Officer for new hires and students at Mohawk Ambulance Service. Julia has certifications as an EMT-B and in CPR, as well as certifications for Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy. She also has a Health Studies Certificate from SUNY Schenectady, an associate degree in applied science in medical assisting from Bryant & Stratton College, a year of undergraduate education in Psychology from St. Rose College, and is currently a year into an associate degree in nursing at Maria College. She was a recipient of the company’s Distinguished Service Award in 2017 and 2018.
Battaglia joined the company in 2017, but his career as a first responder dates back to 2012 when he began volunteering with his hometown fire department, Niskayuna Fire District 2. At the start of 2019, David took on the additional role of Driver Trainer, working with new hires to set forth expectations of what it truly means to be a mobile healthcare professional. Last year, David was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from Mohawk Ambulance. He notes that the nomination from his peers to receive the Star of Life has been his greatest professional accomplishment thus far.
“Julia, John, Adam and David, like many other of our crew members, have proven to be exceptional leaders and role models. Each has become invaluable members of our family,†said James P. McPartlon III, president of Mohawk Ambulance Service. “We are extremely proud of both of them and congratulate them on this special recognition and achievement.”
The four award recipients join 17 other Mohawk Ambulance servicemen and women who have been honored with the Star of Life medal.  AAA represents hundreds of ambulance services across the United States which provide emergency and non-emergency care and medical transportation to more than 75 percent of the U.S. population. The Association’s annual Stars of Life awards publicly recognize and celebrate the achievements of its members.
Mohawk Ambulance Service was a supporting sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region’s Annual Radiothon. We’d like to thank the Ronald McDonald House for the work that they do for families in our area.
None of the drivers involved in the accidents mentioned by the Times Union were working on mandatory overtime. In each case, the fatigue of the driver was attributable to the driver’s off-duty activities and failure to come to work adequately rested.
This year, Mohawk Ambulance has addressed these safety issues by proposing several safety enhancements, including shortening maximum shift hours, requiring employees to be fit for duty, and enhancing full-time employment. The Union, despite its public statements, has not fully accepted these safety proposals.
In 2016, UPSEU issued a statement encouraging its members to seek employment at Mohawk Ambulance and boasting that employees had “overwhelmingly voted in” the collective bargaining agreement with the Company. That agreement established the wage rates for employees and the maximum shift length an employee could work, and guaranteed eight hours of rest between shifts.
Mohawk Ambulance Service strives for the highest quality of patient care and safety and employee safety, and is willing to work with lawmakers and our healthcare partners on improving patient and employee safety.
James P. McPartlon, III
President, Mohawk Ambulance Service
After a massive synthetic marijuana overdose in Connecticut and two federal arrests for intent to distribute the drug, the Capital Region is on high alert.
The drug is also known as K2, or “Spiceâ€, synthetic marijuana can pose a variety of issues to first responders and medical personnel.
When first responders arrive on the scene of a synthetic drug overdose, it can be a lot more difficult than your average call. It becomes a guessing game of what they have to do to keep that patient alive.
Following a bad batch of synthetic marijuana in Connecticut that led more than 70 people to overdose, NEWS10 ABC is learning more about how first responders in the Capital Region would respond to such an outbreak.
“It requires a lot of resources a lot of manpower obviously very quickly to one scene. It’s truly a mass casualty incident,†Daniel Gilmore, Director of Operations at Mohawk Ambulance Service, said.
Gilmore says a K2 overdose poses several problems for first responders. The first, it’s difficult to tell exactly what’s in the manufactured drug.
“Even if you know what the drug is, you’re still at a guess of what actual chemicals the patient has consumed.â€
That makes it harder for first responders to treat.
“Many of our traditional treatments, which have been effective in the past, are not as effective against these designer drugs.â€
Just last week, federal agents were able to take a kilogram of K2 off the streets.
Federal officials say it was out of a Schenectady deli that two men planned to sell “Spice†with designer street names like “Scooby Snaxâ€, “Loopyâ€, and “Geeked Up.â€
Each could have a completely different chemical makeup.
“Within one outbreak it can be multiple different specimens that we’re dealing with,†Dr. Alicia Lydecker, Medical Toxicologist at Albany Medical Center, said.
Dr. Lydecker says the biggest problem she sees with synthetic overdoses is the uncertainty of recovery time.
“When you throw in these new synthetic drugs, I don’t know if it’s going to be two hours, I don’t know if it’s going to be 10 hours.â€
The symptoms can vary too from extreme aggression to more traditional pot symptoms like hunger and red eyes.
“People might be yelling or screaming. In severe cases, people can be flipping over beds or fighting out of four-point restraints.â€
Both Dr. Lydecker and Gilmore say they don’t see K2 going away any time soon. They try to do as much preemptive work as possible.
“You just have to be aware of what outbreaks are happening.â€
“We’ll catch up with one and then they’ll have another fashion drug of the day,†Gilmore said.
For the men facing those federal charges, the recovered K2 is out for lab testing to find out exactly what the drug contains.
  
