Garden Spot townlively.com
JUNE 14, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LIX • NO 25
Small ambulance company has BIG heart Yearly institute offers local EMT training BY ANN MEAD ASH
ur folks love giving back to the community,” said EMS Chief Darrell Fisher of New Holland Ambulance, which covers Leola in addition to the ELANCO area. “They may work in a hospital, but on their off time, they volunteer on our trucks.” Fisher noted that registered nurses and a nurse practitioner are among the regular volunteers. All the ambulance company volunteers were honored during the organization’s Family Safety Day on May 6 by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council with the Small EMS Agency of the Year award. Fisher explained that small agencies complete fewer than 5,000 calls per year. “It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime achievement,” he said, noting that multiple nomination letters were sent on behalf of the company and that state representatives audited the
“O
Students studying for EMT certification at New Holland Ambulance must take written and practical tests to complete the course.
organization’s response times to evaluate them for the prize. Fisher noted that currently, New Holland Ambulance has about 111 active volunteers and seven career staff members handling 10 calls a day between the two stations.
Another way that local volunteers serve is as instructors and evaluators for the emergency medical technician (EMT) certification program, which the organization holds yearly as part of its education institute. “We were accredited through
the Pennsylvania Department of Health as our own training institute,” said Fisher. The application process opens in October, and the class runs from January to June on Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m. for a total of about 220
hours. “We get about 70 applications, and we can only accept 30,” said Fisher, who added that students from Fivepointville, White Horse, and Gordonville have taken the class and returned to serve their local ambulance companies. See New Holland Ambulance pg 6
Kindergarten readiness made fun BY ANN MEAD ASH
BY ANN MEAD ASH
When staff members at the ELANCO Library heard from area teachers that children entering kindergarten were not quite as prepared as the educators had hoped they would be, they sprang into action by organizing a summer series to help address this issue. “We are going to practice skills (the educators) have identified,” said Jen Watson, assistant director and youth services coordinator with the library. “(Educators have said), ‘The first day of kindergarten it would be wonderful if they knew how to do these things,’” she explained. The program - called “Ready for Kindergarten!” - is designated for children who will begin kindergarten in the ELANCO School District this fall. Hourlong programs Jen Watson, assistant director and youth services will begin at 3 p.m. at the library, 11 Chestnut Drive, coordinator with the ELANCO Library will oversee “Ready for Kindergarten!” to help prepare area stu- New Holland, on Tuesdays, July 11, 18, and 25. dents to enter school in the fall.
Each Tuesday, 15 men ranging in age from 19 to 75 gather at Caring Hearts, one of several centers in Lancaster County that serve members of the Plain community. On Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the converted barn where the group meets hums with activity. According to Chris Glick, who, along with Sarah Glick, oversees Caring Hearts on those days, the men who participate spend time in worship, singing hymns, and hearing a Bible story. Work time
See ELANCO Library pg 5
includes counting out 100 screws and then transferring them to boxes. “We pack Tapcon screws for hardware stores and screws and small bolts in assortments,” said Chris, who noted the men also put washers on bolts and lags for swing set shops. At 11 a.m., the group stops for lunch, followed by some game time, which often includes cornhole. Work starts again at 1 p.m., and another break is offered at 1:30 p.m. “(The men) usually play a memory game then, which is good for the mind,” said Chris. See Special needs pg 8
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