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St. John Rescue News
   

Rotarians Honor St. John Rescue with $$ - On Saturday night, the  Rotary Club of St. John held it's annual Flavors of St. John fundraiser event. St. John Rescue took home not one, but two significant donations. First over $51,000 was donated directly as a result of last years Flavors event. Rotary president John Fuller presented the check to Rescue Chief John Bowman during a short ceremony. A matching contribution of over $46,000 was donated by local philanthropist Donald Sussmann, shown to the right in the photo above. Originally, the group had hoped to buy two new rescue vehicles with last years Rotary fundraiser, but the VI Government stepped up to the plate first. (see vehicle related stories below). St. John Rescue subsequently put together a proposal to the Rotary Club of St. John, outlining how and where any donated monies would be utilized. The raised funds are earmarked specifically to complete the outfitting of the new vehicles with first response equipment and gear while a small portion is being used training needs.

"We are extremely blessed to receive such an outpouring of support from the community we serve" St. John Rescue President, Karin Schlesinger noted. "These new resources for the island will help us be better prepared for any emergency situation".

First Responder Training Begins - As part of its mission to serve the community, St. John Rescue is sponsoring a First Responder Certification Training program. The 55 hour course includes both hands on and classroom instruction. Led by St. John Rescue training officer (and certified FR Trainer) Bob Malacarne, the skills learned in the course will be immediately useful. The use of CPR and AED's are included in the training course. The class is made up of new St. John Rescue Probationary Members and also private citizens with an interest. For more information, check out our Training page.
New Vehicles Dedicated and Blessed - On November 18th, St. John Rescue formally dedicated it's two new vehicles. At the same time, the organization kicked off its 10th year of service to the community (see related article below).

Rescue-2 was bought to replace the salvaged ambulance that was housed in Coral Bay (see related stories below). Shown here in the photo, the new vehicle can treat and transport two patients at one time. The new Rescue-3 vehicle (see related story below). Father Charles Crespo from the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Mission in Cruz Bay, blessed the vehicles. St. John Rescue Chief John Bowman, was master of ceremonies for the event. 

St. John Rescue Kick-Offs 10th Year in Service - On November 18, 2006, St. John Rescue formally kicked off its 10th year in Service with a public celebration, held at the Bandstand in the William Powell Park in Cruz Bay. A number of local dignitaries, current and past members, friends of St. John Rescue and passers-by were in for a treat. Speakers were followed by group photos. St. John rescue also dedicated its 2 new Rescue vehicles (see related article above).

The public was invited to explore the groups rescue vehicles, receive a printed brochure explaining the organization, and even enjoy a beverage and a piece of Anniversary cake.

Rescue-3 Arrives on-Island! - Rescue-3, the newest in St. John Rescue's growing fleet of vehicles arrived on-island just in time for the non-profit organization's formal kick-off for it's 10th year in service to the island of St. John. A spokesperson for the organization explained that rescue-3 was intended to be an Incident Command vehicle for group. Rescue-4 is equipped with automated scene lighting, a myriad of built-in racks housing much First Responder gear and equipment, and an array of communications equipment. The vehicle can also be quickly adapted to do patient transport.
Marine-1 Training Debut - Sunday September 24th marked an auspicious date in the history of St. John Rescue, Inc. For the first time ever, the group held a training session with Marine-1, the first water craft put in to service by the all-volunteer organization. Up to this point, members have responded when needed to water rescues via VINP boats, private boats, and any other means they could find at the time. The new boat will not only help when it comes to improving response time, but will permit members to train more regularly with marine/water rescue equipment.
Rescue-2 Ready for Service! - The group's new Rescue-2 vehicle is ready for service and was showcased at the recnet 2006 Labor Day Triathalon event hosted by the Love City Land Sharks. The vehiclee is not yet housed in Coral Bay, as there is still some last work to be completed. Portable red strobe lights need to be replaced with permanent ones, and some last outfitting needs to be completed. The new vehicle, primarily designed for patient transport, replaces an old salvaged ambulance which had become unreliable and unfit for duty. It was purchased with funds provided to St. John Rescue via an appropriation from the VI Government this year.  The organization is has one more vehicle on-order for the 2007 season as part of that appropriation which specified the purchase of two vehicles for St. John Rescue. Rescue-3 will be an Incident Command/communications vehicle that's also capable of both patient transport and hauling specialty equipment to incident scenes.
Incident Count Escalating Fast - By mid-August 2006, the number of incidents St. John Rescue has responded to year-to-date surpassed the total number of incidents in all of 2005. "One only has to look at the numbers, to see why we are constantly training and upgrading our tools and equipment", President Karin Schlesinger stated. The group is doing what it can to minimize incidents through, articles in the print media, a bumper sticker campaign to get drivers to slow down, and training offerings for the general public. "We welcome anyone and everyone to come to our regularly scheduled training sessions and our meetings too. This fall we will be offering another First Responder Training class open to the general public. Interested parties can contact nfo@stjohnrescue.org for more information.   
Group Targets Land/Building Needs - A committee has been formed by St John Rescue to study and identify sources and options for acquiring land and/or a building to meet the growing organizations needs. Chairing this committee is Preston  Pollock. Also on the committee are members Bob Schlesinger, Paul Jordan and Alfredo Alejo. In the past, the group has led studies for a multi-agency facility to co-exist with VITEMA and ARES. Currently, St. John Rescue has a temporary lease on a covered portico in Coral Ba for its Rescue-2 vehicle. That three sided protected shelter and the land it sits on is slated for other VI Government use next year. In Cruz Bay, the organization has an open parking space with electrical hookup, courtesy of the VI Fire Department and other agencies. It is not a good long-term solution because of local congestion and its lack of protection. The group meets monthly at the Myrah Keating Community Health Center but borrows or rents facilities for its twice monthly training sessions and frequent other meetings. To help, contact St. John Rescue at info@stjohnrescue.org  
CPR Offerings to the Public - Anyone who has not taken a CPR class within the past 30 days need to take a refresher class because CPR guidelines have changed significantly. The new guidelines will have a huge impact on anyone performing CPR. 

St John Rescue has been offering classes in CPR and First Aid on a regular basis.  Our program is Coast Guard approved.  Our primary instructor is a certified American Safety and Health Institute instructor for CPR, First Aid and First Responder training. If you are interested in taking a CPR or First Aid class please contact member/trainer Bob Malacarne at 693-RESQ or via my cell at 626-5118. The cost for each class is $30.00, to cover materials.
Mission Accomplished! - Marty Alperen, valued St. John Rescue member (and past President) recently completed his studies and received a Master of Arts in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Marty is here receiving his hard-earned diploma from Secretary of the Army, Francis J. Harvey.

The US Virgin Islands stands to benefit greatly through Mr. Alperen's efforts. His Masters thesis (March 2006), entitled “Towards a Homeland Security Strategy for the United States Virgin Islands…,” provides a roadmap for improving our Territories' preparedness in handling any unforeseen disaster.  


New Vehicle Module Arrives - A modular ambulance cap, soon to be part of the new Rescue-2 vehicle, has arrived on St. John. This is no April Fool's joke - the custom built ambulance module is designed to sit on a 4x4 truck body, allowing it to go where other ambulances would have difficulty. the module is designed to allow rescue volunteers to work on two patients during transport.

Built with the needs of St. John in mind, the module is air conditioned, has built-in jump seats with seat belts, auxiliary power outlets, storage compartments, and so on. The module is designed to be easily moved to an alternative vehicle within a few short minutes to limit down-time due to vehicle maintenance or disasters. 

10th Anniversary Plans Underway - In November, 2006, St. John resuce will celebrate its 10th Anniversary as a volunteer organization to the island of St. John. Plans are already under way to celebrate - community service projects, demonstrations, recognition award events and other ideas are being considered. Members are gathering up photos and other historical documents as part of the preparation. St. John Rescue began with a few concerned residents meeting under a tree on VI National Park grounds in Cruz Bay. If you have any photos, ideas or suggestions, contact 10th Anniversary Event Chairman Darrell Tasman.

Editor's note: Darrell is the perfect  Chairman for this event. He has been with St. John Rescue from the beginning - we don't know how we'd do without him.
Coral Bay Vehicle Donated to Water Island -  The fledgling Water Island vvolunteer rescue organization is in process of acquiring its very first emergency response rescue vehicle, courtesy of St. John Rescue. St. John Rescue is replacing its originally donated Rescue-2 vehicle, pictured here in its current Coral Bay location. While no longer viable for the needs of St. John, with some attention, the old Rescue-2 vehicle can be a great asset to their sister organization. Water Island doesn't have the terrain issues of St. John and the vehicle suits their needs perfectly. 

In donating this vehicle, the group is also preparing for the arrival of its newest transport vehicle to rrive on St. John shortly. See related articles here and in the New Archives.
Antenna "Party" at Mamey Peak - In an effort to resolve some of the many issues encountered during the implementation of the first island-wide radio system for St. John Rescue, a work party was held at Mamey Peak in February for volunteer members.

Pictured at left, member Darrell Tasman climbs the antenna tree to make an adjustment.  Progress was made through the day's efforts, but there are still many obstacles ahead for the huge radio communication project before it can be considered a success. Soon, St. John Rescue expects to host an expert from Rapid Wireless to assist in the next step.

The facility at Mamey Peak is owned and operated by the VI National Park Service - it is through their cooperation and generosity that St. John Rescue is able to cohabitate their equipment in this location.

2006 Incidents Logging at Double 2005 Rate - in the first two months of 2006, St. John Rescue's squad members responded to 25 incidents, which is more than double the 7 incidents recorded for the same period in 2005. The organization was up to the task: this year more members are EMT-B certified,  and the addition of a rescue dispatcher has helped improve response ability. 
First Responder Training - Public Invited - St. John Rescue has taken out ads in the local newspapers to announce plans for a First Responder Training program to commence in January 2006. The general public is invited to sign up for this training. While class size is limited, the organization is committed to get anyone trained who would like to pursue the certification. The course requires both classroom and hands-on training for a minimum of 55 hours. Recertification candidates need only a subset of the program but most find it valuable to participate in the entire program. For More information see the Training page on this website.

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