Elizabeth Carr

“Mommy is the Mayor!”

 Jordan and Sydney Carr, aside from being two of the cutest little girls you’ve ever seen, are also by nature very curious. When their mom, Elizabeth, started as a volunteer EMT in the summer of 2003 they would cry when she left for calls. Oh how things change.

Nowadays when Elizabeth’s pager calls with an emergency to respond to, Jordan and Sydney want to know the nature of the call. Then they say ‘see ya Mommy EMT’, no tears in sight. 

Elizabeth is a Glen Rock native and is married to Joe, who being one of twelve children, is no stranger to taking care of children. This comes in handy when Elizabeth is on call. When she is not responding to calls, Elizabeth is a school nurse and is very involved in community activities.  

Who knows… in a few years Jordan and Sydney may be saying ‘see ya Mayor Mommy!”.

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 Matt Catanese

“Demolition Man”

 Deep inside every man is a little boy who loves toys, yearns to demolish inanimate objects, and particularly loves toys that demolish inanimate objects. However, exploding tree stumps or imploding old casinos is not an opportunity that presents itself every day. 

Matt Catanese has found an outlet thanks to the Caterpillar D8 Series Bulldozer – including ripper with shanks. As Tim Allen would say…”aw aw aw aw aw..” 

It doesn’t get much better than turbocharged excavation. 

But Matt is not all about tearing things down. He loves his wife Nancy, and their two beautiful daughters, and in his spare time he loves to garden. 

When Nancy joined the GRVAC, Matt was impressed by the camaraderie among the people on the corps. He told Nancy that he was going to join, and she was more than a little skeptical. That was four years ago.  

Matt rides with the Tuesday night crew. He is thinking of overhauling the ambulance’s engine. It’s hemi-time… boys and their toys.

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Angelo Chupungco 

“To Protect and Serve” 

Any casual observer of American culture can see the country’s fascination with celebrity. The recent spate of reality shows just helps underscore that some people will do anything to get on television, to get their fifteen minutes of fame (or more likely infamy). It’s also pretty evident that the celebrities themselves need protection from the paparazzi, their insane fans,  and from the biggest threat of all – their egos.  

It is one thing to have a business manager, a publicist, a personal attendant, scores of lawyers, shrinks, multiple ex-wives/husbands, agents, and dog walkers...these make up the payroll of a typical celebrity.  

But to have your own posse? That is the crowning achievement of any super-inflated egomaniac.             

Someone needs to protect these poor souls from the all potential threats – physical or psychological. This is no easy task and is reserved for only the most intrepid of professionals – like Angelo Chupungco. 

When Angelo is not protecting the overindulged celeb, he enjoys fishing, exercising and reading..and being a dad. 

Angelo joined the GRVAC in January 2001 so he could give back to his community. He has no desire to be famous, however.                  

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Sal Danna

I joined the GRVAC at the beginning of 2004 following in the footsteps of my “legendary” father, “Duffy”.  Duffy served Glen Rock as an EMT for over thirty years.  It was the love and relationships that I saw through my father's eyes and the awakening of September 11, 2001 that motivated me to step up to the plate and do my part for the community. 

At home, my hero and wife is Lucia who teaches in New Milford. We have three beautiful daughters, Sherry Ann, Suzanne and Michele who grew up in Glen Rock and are proud products of the Glen Rock School system.

 At work, I am the V.P. of a software development company. My volunteerism is encouraged and supported by our President and colleagues. We have arranged my work schedule so I can telecommute from home on Wednesdays while also serving the community. During my scheduled ambulance duty day, I do my proposals, paperwork, make phone calls and excuse myself when my beeper goes off. My President thanks me for being an EMT and assures me that there is a special place in Heaven for those that serve as volunteers. 

I found the training for becoming an EMT very stimulating.  It was exciting and different from the learning that takes place in the daily work place; Sort of reminiscent of the old school days but with a much more mature approach.

 Once training was completed and certification was in place, the rewards became evident. Witnessing the love and care provided by my fellow volunteers and to answer the call for help from those in need provided all of the reward that was needed to make the effort worthwhile.

 Memorable situations occur on almost every call but one in particular stands out. I arrived at Valley Hospital with my crew and a very sweet elderly patient who suffered from, among other things, dementia. A harpist wondering through the halls of the ER playing “Amazing Grace” greeted us. The patient recognized the melody but could not remember the name of the song. I, who have a reputation for only knowing the first two lines of any song, began to sing to the woman but soon had to start making up words.  The woman sympathetically gazed into my eyes and asked, “I’m sorry, do you have Alzheimer too?  Then squeezing my hand she assured me that if the fellow playing the harp was Gabriel, then we both made it to the right place.

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GRVAC Chief – John DeLaat

 “Good Evening, This is SportsCenter, what are the odds?”

 The odds of bowling a perfect game are one in every 11,500 games. The odds of getting a hole in one are 18,000 to one. The odds of having a son work at ESPN are unknown, but the combined odds of a perfect game, a hole in one, and a son working at the center of the sports universe are astronomical. John DeLaat has defied the odds and achieved those remarkable sports milestones.

 John’s love of sports and coaching were the basis for his decision to join the GRVAC 15 years ago. John is driven to help others and to push himself not only in the sports arena, but as a volunteer EMT as well. He served as on officer in the GRVAC for years and is the current Chief of the GRVAC. His wife Barbara and his son John have been very supportive of his work with the GRVAC and his time giving back to the community.

 If you meet John, you should ask him which numbers he plays in the lottery. The odds of winning the lottery are only 80,089,128 to 1.

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Michele Ivory

“And you thought only athletes and soldiers were recruited!”

 The Glen Rock Ambulance Corps welcomes folks from all walks of life to become members. There are, however, some especially talented people in town that are not so subtly persuaded to join.

 Meet Michele Ivory. This mild mannered mother of two teenagers was reminded from time to time that her skills as a Labor and Delivery nurse and her black belt in Taekwondo made her a perfect fit for the corps. Not many people can take care of a bad guy one minute and then set his  fractured leg the next. Now that is talent!

 Michele has been responding to calls during the daytime shift since June 2004. So if you feel a little under the weather during a weekday or go into labor in Dunkin Donuts (watch that caffeine ladies) you’re in great hands.

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Ron Jemal

“A Coach Follows a Calling”

 It’s time for us couch potatoes to fess up. When we see our neighbors jogging through town in bad weather or at some painfully early hour, we can’t help feel a little envious. Or perhaps we just think their nuts.

 Well one of those intrepid joggers is Ron Jemal - Laura Jemal’s husband and father to their three sons. Laura puts up with a lot.  Ron’s running, his long hours at work, and  the time he devotes to the GRVAC as an officer and a member of the Thursday night crew. 

When the Jemal boys were youths, Ron coached them in baseball, football, and soccer (if you haven’t noticed Ron has a propensity to volunteer). He loved coaching but also was concerned for his kid’s safety. With a little help from fellow coach and GRVAC member John DeLaat , Ron decided to become an EMT.  

14 years later Ron is still riding and running. But his golf game is no better.

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Griff Jones, Jr

“Following a Good Example, and Setting One as Well”

 Following in a remarkable father’s footsteps is a challenge that many sons face. Not many can  live up to the example set by their dad and build on it. Griff Jones Jr has done just that. 

Twenty one years ago GJ Jr joined the GRVAC and inspired his Dad to join as well - the ultimate compliment to a young man who learned so much from his Dad. Since then he has married Rosemarie, had three children, and continued to make his Dad proud. 

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Griff Jones, Sr

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Jordan Kirsch

 “If this is what the future generation has to offer,  we’re very lucky...”

 Tom Brokaw’s ‘The Greatest Generation” paid tribute to the ordinary  men and women who managed to do the extraordinary . They fought and won  the second world war, transformed the American economy, and made quite a few babies. Their work ethic, family values, and empathy to those less fortunate have been a guiding lesson for Jordan Kirsch.

 As a first grader he knew he wanted to serve his community by being an EMT and has taken action. Although he is only sixteen (sixteen!!), he is an Eagle scout, a lifeguard, a health officer, and has climbed the second highest peak in New York State (and oh yeah...it was in whiteout).

 Jordan, a Junior at Glen Rock HS, is on call Monday and Tuesday during the day and Monday night. His motivation to respond is not to avoid AP-calc, but to live by the example set by those who sacrificed and achieved greatness.

 If this is what the future holds folks....we’re looking pretty good. 

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Christine Kochaniec 

                                   “ Life at breakneck speed”

 Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. Born prematurely, doctors did not expect Wilma to survive. Just when her doctors thought she was fully recovered, she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, leaving her left leg paralyzed. She learned to walk with the assistance of a metal brace.

By age 13, she was able to walk without the brace and soon thereafter she decided to begin running. She entered her first race and came in last. For the next three years, Wilma came in dead last in every race she entered. But she kept on running, and one day she won. Eventually, the little girl who was not supposed to live, and then who was not supposed to be able to walk, would win three gold medals in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Wilma’s is a story of overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness on the world stage, but there are less heralded stories of everyday people that provide inspiration as well.

 Christine Kochaniec is an admitted germ-a-phobe. She will put on gloves before picking up a pen to record a patient’s history in the GRVAC call book. This is not a person you expect to handle some of the least appealing substances encountered on a call, but Christine managed to overcome her fears. Christine continues a family tradition of giving back to Glen Rock – her mom and two sisters are members are the GRVAC as well.

 Mark Kochaniec marvels at his wife’s energy. Christine works full time, is a mom to their beautiful 3 year old daughter, is an avid photographer, and has been an active member of the GRVAC for 12 years.

 So if you  too are living life at breakneck speed, and share a fear of blood and broken bones, consider Christine..then consider joining the GRVAC.

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Barbara Northway

  “Okay so Florence Nightingale is better at Math”

Florence Nightingale is perhaps best known as the pioneer of nursing who was the catalyst that reformed the British healthcare system. Unknown to many, however, was her use of new techniques of statistical analysis that led to improvements in medical and surgical practices. 

Barbara Northway and Florence Nightingale have a few things in common – both were nurses in England and share a common passion for administering care to the sick 

But Barbara does not have the math skills of a Nightingale. Case in point: Barbara and her husband were to stay in the states for 2 years – that was 22 years ago.  

Barbara has been an EMT for 20 years and has two grown sons. She enjoys traveling the Inner Passage of Alaska with her husband, which takes her to exotic locations.  

Florence Nightingale would be proud of her countrywoman for sure.

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Reza Oskoui

It was sometime during the 6^th grade that Reza Oskoui became aware of the Volunteer Ambulance Corps in Glen Rock.  The school nurse at Saint Catharine’s Elementary School, Mrs. Noreen Egan, who just happens to be a long time member of the Corps, was the role model that started Reza thinking about the importance of volunteering.

 In the meantime, Scouting became a major focus Reza’s life.  Cub Scout Pack 27 was the start of a Scouting life that would take him just about as far as you can go as a youth, to the prominent level of Eagle Scout.  For his Eagle Scout project he remodeled a dingy stairwell in his former elementary school.  The volunteer bug had a good hold on Reza now.

 In addition to demands of High School and Scouting Reza became deeply involved in another passion, Aviation.  He became an active member in the Civil Air Patrol unit  flying out of the Lincoln Park, NJ airport designated “The Teterboro Composite Squadron”  Out of his passion for flying and general aviation he has applied to and been accepted to the University of North Dakota where he will major in Aviation.  Time will determine if he ends up as a Commercial Pilot or Air Traffic Controller, both very lofty goals.  From what we know of this exemplary young man, he will excel in what ever path he chooses……….

 For now, though The Glen Rock Ambulance Corps is the beneficiary of a very fine recruit.  In addition to fulfilling all of the riding requirements of his membership duties there is nothing that he will not tackle when he sees the need; from scanning documents into our data base to painting the garage to providing a needed wash down for one of our response vehicles.  Reza loves the atmosphere of the monthly meetings and when asked if there were any surprises that he did not expect when he joined the corps he responded “Sure, but surprises make life fun”.   

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Lorraine Stern

 “The Exceptional Doctor Lorraine”

 Speed skater Chad Hedrick is called ‘The Exception’ by his friends and competitors because he doesn’t fit the mold of a typical athlete. You may have heard about the exception, but it’s time you  learned about ‘The Exceptional’ – Lorraine Stern. 

Nine years ago the GRVAC Captain got a call from a young girl, asking how she could become a member. When the Captain learned the girl on the other of the line was just twelve, he had to break the bad news – members had to be at least sixteen. One month after her sixteenth birthday that young girl – Lorraine Stern – began the EMT class.  

Lorraine has been a member of the GRVAC since July 2000. Since then has taken on as many shifts as humanly possible, even when she would return from college breaks. Speaking of college, Lorraine finished George Washington University in just three years and is now in her second year at GWU’s medical school.  

Lorraine has always been exceptional student, an exceptional daughter, sister, friend, and of course an exceptional EMT. And in a few years we can all refer to her as “The Exceptional Doctor Lorraine”. 

Mary Surrago

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens.”

Helen Keller

A purple sky at dusk, an early morning snowfall, a little girl’s smile, a Hoboken-Bound train, orange and red foliage against the backdrop of a church steeple in autumn…all are sights to be seen in Glen Rock for those of us who are blessed with the sense of sight. It is certainly easy to take these flourishes of beauty for granted, as it is to take for granted the ease of getting to and from work and performing life’s daily tasks. But for the more than 1 million Americans who are blind, it’s a totally different story.

Ask Mary Surrago, who has devoted more than 30 years working for a national not-for-profit organization that creates and improves job opportunities for people who are blind. A strong advocate for the capabilities of people with disabilities, Mary will tell you that a blind person can do almost anything a sighted person can do – except drive.

A Glen Rock resident for more than 25 years, Mary loves our little town. She and her husband, Jim, raised two children here.  Jim was an active in the Glen Rock Baseball Association as Vice President of the Softball League, and coached their daughter’s teams year round. When Jim passed away a few years ago, Mary decided it was her turn to give back to our community. Because she always wanted to be a nurse as a little girl, she decided that becoming an EMT would be the best way for her to volunteer. Now almost two years later, Mary is a member of the Thursday daytime crew and just took over the reins from Diane Herrlett as President of the GRVAC!

If your fortunate enough to find a helping hand in times of trouble, it may very well be Mary Surrago by your side.

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