Shelter Island EMS volunteers honored at gala dinner
Just as the festivities were starting at the Annual Emergency Medical Services Volunteers Awards Dinner at the Shelter Island Yacht Club, the beeping of pager was heard.
Guests and EMS volunteers sitting at elegantly set tables on the terrace overlooking Dering Harbor looked around, paused, and then went back to chatting. EMS Chief Mark Kanarvogel was on his way to Assistant Squad Chief TJ Dalton and Squad Lieutenant Kristina Li Neknez-Dalton, speaking briefly to them before the three went outside, got in an ambulance and were off.
It was just one example of the service — any time, day, night, special events — that the Island’s EMS provides the community. They respond to the call. As Director and Chief of Operations Jack Thilberg said, simply, and repeated, “We save lives.”
Statistics tell the tale of the agency’s dedication: EMS has responded to 139 emergency calls so far this year; the total response for the 365 days of 2024 was 439.
After a while, the three volunteers returned, along with Police Officer Lindsay Rando, in uniform, who had also responded to the emergency. She had been invited back for dinner.
Always one of the most social and meaningful events on the Island calendar along with the Fire Department’s events, the Volunteer Awards dinner was well attended, with representatives from the Town Board, the Town Clerk’s office, the Highway, Fire and Police Departments. Honored guests, legends in the community for founding and ongoing commitment to the EMS were Marian Brownlie and Joy Bausman. The chairman of the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, James Preston, was also recognized by the gathering with a round of applause.
Annmarie Seddio was named EMS Volunteer of the year. The award is, Director Thilberg said, “Presented to an outstanding individual in recognition of their exceptional dedication, compassion, leadership in service to our agency and community.” He added that Ms. Seddio is a steadying presence, “a voice of reason in challenging moments, and someone always willing to help.”
Volunteer Rachel Medina was honored as Driver of the Year, and presented, as were the other honorees, with proclamations by Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead). Chief Kanarvogel, who presented the award to Ms. Medina, noted that “drivers just don’t drive,” but are an essential part of the entire emergency response from the time a patient is readied for transport until they are safely admitted to a hospital.
EMT of the Year went to Cathy Rasmussen. Chief Kanarvogel said she had successfully navigated a work/life balance with her family, interrupting her service only when she had a child “and then she came back to us.”
The official proceedings ended with Chief Kanarvogel presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Director Thilberg from Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine for the Island’s EMS response to the devastating March wildfires in Westhampton Beach.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Kanarvogel said, “I think about all the calls we’ve gone on, and I get emotional thinking about it. Thank you all.”
Then it was on to dinner and desert, and the happy buzz of voices of guests, families and volunteers joining together in celebration on the terrace on a soft June evening.
