The Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad (PFARS) installed its 2016 officers at a banquet at the Nassau Inn on Saturday night, Jan. 16. Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert administered the oath of office to the leadership team and thanked the entire squad for its continuing service to the Princeton community.
Newly elected President Deborah C. Westbrook praised the new officers: “The diversity of talents and experience held by those elected by this largely volunteer organization are illustrative of the extraordinary range of training and capabilities that we are proud to provide to our community,” she said in a statement. “PFARS is a wonderful combination of long-term residents and shorter term university students. A lawyer, a high school science teacher, a pre-med major or therapist — each one is fully trained and a dedicated colleague.”
At the event, Director of Operations Frank Setnicky reported on squad operations in 2015. According to the squad’s statement, PFARS responded to 2,909 calls. Its response time, already below the national average, was further reduced in 2015. The squad’s four ambulances, rescue truck, and other vehicles traveled over 40,000 miles last year. The squad’s 119 volunteers contributed over 20,000 hours of service to the community and 26 new members joined PFARS in 2015.
Also, PFARS honored Greg Paulson with the Michael Kenwood Award given for distinguished service. The award is dedicated to the memory of Michael Kenwood, a PFARS member who died in the line of duty during Hurricane Irene.
Outgoing President Mark Freda was honored for his 40 years of service to the squad and the many leadership posts he held over those years. He will continue with the squad to guide its construction of a new station and headquarters building.
PFARS is staffed 24 hours a day by over 100 trained volunteer and career personnel. PFARS offers its members the New Jersey Emergency Medical Technician course and other advanced medical and operational courses to maintain a cohesive and trained membership.
Members of the community who are interested in volunteering with the squad are encouraged to visit www.pfars.org, email [email protected], or call (609) 924-3338 to learn more about EMS, technical rescue, and administrative opportunities.
Principal PFARS officers for 2016 are:
President Deborah C. Westbrook; Vice President Meredith Sferra; Recording Secretary Patrick DeAlmeida; Corresponding Secretary Jonthan Yu; Treasurer Peter Simon; Director of Operations Frank Setnicky; Deputy Director of Operations Dabir Khan; EMS Captain Scott Sferra; Rescue Captain Shannon Koch; Lieutenants: Matt Stiff, Shawn Gallagher, Patrick Richichi, Robert Allen; Trustees: Antonio Maio, Shannon Koch, Athena Wu; Members at Large: Andrea Didisheim, Mark Freda, Gregory Paulson; Cadet Advisor Andrea Didisheim.
