Sometimes friends encourage you to make bad choices. Then there are those friends who ask you to do something singular that causes you to follow a whole other path. Hunter Potter’s good friend Kyle Lynch convinced him to hang out as a volunteer EMT in Sloatsburg and eventually catch rides with the ambulance rescue. Potter was 17 years old. Those rides got him hooked on helping. Now, little more than a year later, Potter just passed his New York State EMT exam and has become one of the latest additions to the Sloatsburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Potter, 18 years old and from Suffern, joins Sloatsburg resident Jessica Bradfute as Sloatsburg’s newest EMTs, the first in nearly two years. Both Potter and Bradfute did their training and course work at the Rockland County Fire Training Center. Both currently attend Rockland Community College full-time. Bradfute is still accumulating corps hours and anticipates being cleared for full rescue duty following an internal review process.

“More than anything I love helping people,” said Potter about the whole EMT experience. “I love making a difference in people’s lives.”

Lynch is a lieutenant at the ambulance corps in charge of communications. Although he and Potter now work regularly together at Sloatsburg Station 42, it was those first few rides that won Potter over. “I spent quite a few hours of my time volunteering,” Potter said. “Originally I hopped on the crew as a junior, which means I would assist the EMT and the driver — however I could, learn whatever I could.  Once you become 18 you’re allowed to take this class that NY State offers, and I’ve been in love with it ever since.”

Lynch said that Potter was quick to learn things at the station and quickly accelerated through the EMT program. He’s now learning all about fleet operations, taking on responsibility for ambulance maintenance and supplies. Along with his medical experience, Potter has also racked up more than 150 hrs of driver training, known as Code 3 Response, which involves tactical ambulance driving skills and response drills that involve use of lights and sirens.

The Sloatsburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps is part of the Rockland County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) System, which itself is comprised of 14 Volunteer Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance Corps and 2 Advance Life Support (ALS) services. Rockland County’s EMS Agencies respond to over 30,000 medical emergencies a year. The EMS agencies provide other services as well, including blood pressure screenings and community training and outreach.

Lynch said that the Sloatsburg Corp responds to nearly 400 calls a year, using its two vehicles — Ambulance 42 Bravo One and Ambulance 42 Bravo Two. The Sloatsburg station has 30 members overall, including volunteers who are not certified EMTs. With a Civil Board of Directors comprised of Sloatsburg residents, most who have been EMTs for years, the corps is funded primarily by Rockland County. Matt Gannon serves as president of the local organization.

“We’re very fortunate to have ALS dispatch right along side of us,” said Lynch, referring to Rockland Paramedic Services (RPS), which sends paramedics to Sloatsburg calls. “So you have two paramedics who have advanced rescue skills in the field on every call.”

Like the Sloatsburg Fire Department, the Ambulance Corps patrols a high-traffic corridor that includes Rt. 17 and the New York Thruway. “Our territory goes from the border of Tuxedo to the border of Hillburn, out to the border of Ringwood and then Tuxedo on the far end,” said Lynch, who keeps the corp’s Facebook page updated with EMT rescues and related activity.

Potter said that the one part of the emergency rescue experience that always creates a rush is when that call comes through — you never know what waits at the end of the ride. “It can go either way sometimes — something minor can end up being something huge. And sometimes something that seems big can end up as something minor. However, every time the tone goes off, you do have that sense of adrenalin pumping and that uncertainty of what you’re going to come up upon.”

The Sloatsburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps is always looking for volunteers, either to work in the field or as corps support. It’s easy to get involved. If interested, call the station at 845-753-2445.