Submitted by Clark Judge.
(Sept. 25, 2020) — New year. Same story.
When the Killingworth Ambulance Association last weekend honored its top responders for 2019-20 the results sounded familiar. That’s because they were. The three EMTs who last year took the most calls were the same three EMTs honored Sunday at the KAA’s annual banquet.
Lisa Anderson, Dan Siegel and Mark Clifton, come on down.
Anderson answered the most calls, responding to 207 of the 327 calls — or 63.3 percent. Siegel was second at 167 and Clifton third with 83. The same three were honored a year ago, with Siegel finishing first. Ironically, he took 11 fewer calls then (156) than he did in 2019-20.
Anderson was second and Clifton third a year ago.
“These three EMTs are the cornerstone of the KAA’s service to the town,” said KAA president Dan O’Sullivan. “To be a leader year after year shows tremendous dedication, commitment to the community and sacrifice of personal time.
“Lisa Anderson having over 200 calls is an amazing number. The dedication of these leaders is particularly noteworthy this year with the added risk of the pandemic. I encourage anyone who knows them to reach out to them and thank them.”
Anderson’s 207 calls are so “amazing,” as O’Sullivan put it, that during the KAA’s monthly board meeting Wednesday it was suggested that they might be a record for a Killingworth EMT. While that could not be confirmed, board members agreed the figure is the most in recent memory.
“I do this,” Anderson said, “because I love doing it.”
Anderson has been a Killingworth EMT for five years and one of its top three responders for all but one.
In addition to Anderson, Siegel and Clifton, the KAA honored retiring EMT Bruce Bowman. Bowman, a Killingworth Ambulance Association EMT the past 10 years and one of its top three responders in 2018, is moving with wife Liz to Tennessee.
Clifton presented him with a toy ambulance as part of the ceremony.
“I thought it was great,” said Bowman. “We’ll take it with us to Tennessee.”
Photo by Mary Robbenhaar-Fretz.
