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Volunteers Key To Emergency Services

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By PAUL CATALA The Sun

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

For a quarter of a century, Enid Uhrich has spent time helping those in distress through computer database work. For two decades, Betsy Mehaffey has spent time volunteering to help others keep their cardiovascular health up and monitoring accident or other health issues.

Fortunately there are more than 400 other volunteers such as Uhrich and Mehaffey with the Sun City Center Emergency Squad (ES) spending extra time in their lives in an effort to make the area a safer, healthier and secure place to live.

Although the number of volunteers is steady and substantial enough to handle cases, the ES still seeks volunteers, especially as part-time residents return to the area for the winter.

Housed in a fully equipped station off Sun City Center Boulevard at 101 Ray Watson Drive, the SCC Emergency Squad has all the latest life-saving and medical equipment necessary in the event of a crisis. It is run completely by volunteers and services are available at no charge.

During a recent workday, the station was abuzz with activity, as morning shift staff readied for the day. For the past 46 years, the routines have been the same, although the equipment and technology has constantly changed and developed.

Divided into five staff rooms and the emergency vehicle garage, the Emergency Squad is part of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Committee and has a close working relationship with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

As he went over paperwork, ES First Responder Director Al Hurlbrink spoke about the important roles volunteers play in keeping operations running.

Hurlbrink, a retired U.S. Army chief warrant officer, has spent about two years with the ES. He is part of eight teams of volunteers who help keep the system running and said there are particular positions that are in need of filling.

Volunteer opportunities include instructor/trainers, emergency medical technicians, first responders, dispatchers, technicians, vehicle maintenance and administrative positions.

"What we're looking for mostly is First Responders and drivers. You don't have to have a medical background," Hurlbrink said. "That's our major push because we have a lot of turnover due to age and illness. We're constantly having to bring in new people."

Thom Brown, assistant chief for public affairs, added there are positions that fit the skills of most volunteers. He said for those who aren't as mechanically inclined or apprehensive about attending to victims, volunteer positions also includes vehicle sanitation and washing, kitchen duties and administrative work. A volunteer with the ES for a year and a half, the retired university administrator said part of the appeal is being able to learn a lot on the job.

"You can learn a lot of medical information which is useful for an individual or a family. What keeps people here is they get good personal information and they're helping other people who are under a great deal of stress," he said.

Hurlbrink said the approximately 200 ES volunteers are divided into eight teams and each person on the team works every eighth day.

Training to become a volunteer takes place in the ES headquarters and at a training center on South Pebble Beach Drive. Courses are divided into 40 hours of training, held over two weeks. There are also four-hour cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency vehicle operating courses.

Teams are responsible for 24 hour on-call status, broken into 12-hour shifts, covering the area north to 19th Avenue, south to State Road 674, east to Highway 301 and west to Cortero Drive.

In 2007, the ES made about 12,000 emergency runs in Sun City Center, all at no cost to residents or guests. One of this year's calls was made the week of Nov. 10, when a man attending a concert at the Sun City Center clubhouse was resuscitated back to life after having a heart attack.

It's the satisfaction of helping those in need and seeing them recover that's kept Uhrich and other longtime volunteers on shifts for so many years.

"After my husband got ill, they treated him so well and he recovered," said Mehaffey, a blood pressure technician. "They were calm, pleasant and got him to the hospital quickly. I wanted to give back."

For information on the Sun City Center Emergency Squad or to volunteer, call (813) 633-1411.

Reporter Paul Catala can be reached at (813) 865-1554 or pcatala@mediageneral.com.

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