(above, l-r) Chatham Emergency Squad’s newest cadet class, front row: Kylie Finkelstein, Sophia Gagliardi, Risha Surana; back row: Mihir Rao, Jack Tapper, Roma Welsh.
Six Chatham Juniors Join the Emergency Squad
Submitted by Craig Alperowitz
The Chatham Emergency Squad, an all-volunteer first aid emergency service providing pre-hospital care to residents and visitors of the Chathams, is delighted to announce it has accepted the applications of six highly motivated and impressive high school students to join its membership base as part of its Cadet Training Program.
Chosen from a field of highly qualified and passionate applicants, the cadets include: Kylie Finkelstein, Sophia Gagliardi, Mihir Rao, Risha Surana, Jack Tapper, and Roma Welsh.
All six cadets are rising juniors attending Chatham High School and have already begun their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training at Union County College.
The cadets will spend their Junior and Senior years of high school helping residents in need as part of an active weekly crew, either after school or during the early part of the evening shifts. They join six other returning cadets to make up the full Cadet Program. These members include Hailey Baumgardner, Sam Cooperman, Tanay Malla, Claire Silverstein and Amelie Srinivas, rising seniors at Chatham High School and Mary Kate Vowells, rising senior at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.
“We accepted these outstanding and qualified students before the pandemic, and there was great uncertainty about their enrollment in EMT school and their ability to participate in squad activities” said Nicole DiMaggio, Training Lieutenant and Cadet Manager of the Chatham Emergency Squad. “But these mature and motivated students reaffirmed their commitment to the community and have recently begun their training. With the life-saving skills and hands-on experience they will soon gain, these exceptionally bright students will all make a meaningful impact on the Chatham community. We’re thrilled to have them on-board.”
The Chatham Emergency Squad is an all-volunteer organization funded nearly exclusively by donations. In 2019 the Chatham Emergency Squad responded to 1246 emergency calls in Chatham Township and Chatham Borough and provided mutual aid to neighboring communities of New Vernon, Madison and Summit on occasion. The Squad also provided free CPR training to more than 400 residents, teachers, coaches, school crossing guards and emergency personnel, including fire and police. The Chatham Emergency Squad never charges for its services. To learn more, to donate or to volunteer, please visit chathamemergencysquad.org.
