Testimonials

I just wanted to send a note of appreciation and gratitude regarding a call I did recently in Killingworth.

The call came in as an unconscious (patient) but ended up a cardiac arrest, deep inside the Boy Scouts camp (run by Killingworth Ambulance Association board member and EMT Mark Clifton). After much work by the first responders, the patient was found and extricated from the property using Mark’s vehicle.

The patient was then transported to the Shoreline Medical Center, with an unfavorable outcome.

The son of the patient was a young man spending one of his last free weekends with his Dad before going off to boot camp. He was from out of state, with no other relatives nearby. Certainly a difficult and sad situation.

Mark came down to Shoreline, spending several hours with the patient’s son, keeping him company and being a support. For most, the job would have been done at the scene. Not Mark. He spent the afternoon helping this young man, showing much compassion and empathy.

Your agency should be proud to have a member as dedicated and caring as Mark.

Respectfully,

Gary Johnson, EMT-P

Middlesex Health

July 9, 2019

“At 7:30 a.m. on July 15, 2016, I found myself lying on the ground with a back injury next to my mountain back on the trails of Chatfield Hollow. Unable to move on a trail was a scary feeling, but within minutes of making a 911 call there was a Killingworth ambulance driving up the fire road next to the trail I was on. The team of EMTs professionally greeted me, assessed my condition, got me on to a board and maneuvered me off the trail and into the ambulance. I can remember one EMT, Lisa Anderson, calmly speaking to me and reducing the movement of my body as we made our way to the Westbrook Emergency Center. I am very grateful for the prompt and professional response of the Killingworth Ambulance Association in supporting my needs as an injured individual in a challenging location.”

Adam Coppola Killingworth January 12, 2018

"I brought my dogs for a walk to Chatfield Hollow on a sunny but frigid late January afternoon -- a day when there were few cars in the parking lot, the temperature was 18 degrees and the conditions everywhere were extremely icy. As I was heading back from our walk, I noticed a gentleman walking in front of me on a path dotted by large rocks and boulders just before you get to the stream. Before I knew it, he slipped and fell backward without bracing himself -- and I heard a thick "thud" when his head struck the ground. I ran over to him, but he was unresponsive. I kept saying, "Hello, sir, are you OK?" No response. At that moment, I realized I had left my cell phone in the car, mostly because I know that cell phone coverage at Chatfield is spotty at best. Luckily, three young men, probably aged somewhere between 18 and 21, were walking toward us from a distance. I yelled to them, "Call 911! Please hurry!" They did and rushed over to help. While they were on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, the man who had fallen regained consciousness and opened his eyes. The boys asked him if he knew his name and age. He seemed to know his name, but when asked his age, he said, "Twenty seven." Clearly, he was much older. It wasn't long afterward that the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Department showed up, and I was amazed at how quickly they arrived. However, because it was January, the main road was gated off. So, first responders had to jump some hurdles -- literally --  to reach the man. But as they did, they called the state DEP, which gave them the combination of the lock to the wooden gate at the park's entrance and allowed them to drive to the victim. It was so icy, however, that one of the EMTs fell upon exiting one of the trucks. It was a veritable skating rink! The EMTs quickly assessed the situation and gently but firmly guided the man into the ambulance. I was so impressed with how quick and organized they were given the environmental obstacles. The man was taken to Middlesex Hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. I was able to witness the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Department's professionalism and speed in this situation, which could have been more dire had help not arrived quickly. It feels good to live in a town were so may dedicate their time, knowledge and care to those of us who live here."

Lorinne Sekban Killingworth February 28, 2018