Even in the darkest cloud, sometimes there is a sliver of a silver lining.
Wednesday, 15 dedicated Hoboken High School students became certified members of the state’s only Emergency Response Team.
On Sept. 11, two seniors, Helen Yao and Michele Martinovich, volunteered to go down to the emergency triage that was set up at the PATH station. They spent the day running water and stringing IVs for the medical professionals. The two admitted that they didn’t really know what to do or how they could help, but they knew that they had to do something. For their civic-minded selflessness, the two are scheduled to receive a Youth Star of Life award from the state’s Department of Health next week in Atlantic City.
In the days following the tragedy, the two seniors approached Joe Miele, the school district’s coordinator of service learning, and brainstormed ideas on how high school students could prepare for any type of emergency. What they came up with is the idea to form an Emergency Response Team made up entirely of high school students.
Since January, every Wednesday night between 6 and 10 p.m., 15 students have stayed after school to learn what to do when an emergency arises. They spent over 50 hours learning CPR and advanced first aid techniques.
On Wednesday, their efforts were rewarded with endorsements for CPR proficiency and First Response Certification from the American Red Cross.
The students also received their own ERT shirt and pants along with their own stethoscope.
“I can’t tell you how much this has touched me as a principal and as an American,” said Hoboken High School Principal Gerard Kiely at the ERT’s graduation ceremony. “In all of my years as an educator, this is one of the most meaningful acts that I have ever witnessed.”
The state Department of Education’s Commission on Community Service has also awarded the Hoboken High School ERT by recognizing it as “Something Positive that Came Out of Sept. 11.” The state commission recently presented the school a plaque lauding the ERT’s service.
Dr. Anglo Caprio, the medical disaster coordinator for the Bon Secours & Canterbury Partnership for Care, which runs local hospitals, was the keynote speaker at the graduation. He is a commander in the Navy Reserves and was selected as one of New Jersey Monthly Magazine’s “People of the Year” in regards to 9-11.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your effort,” said Caprio. “On 9-11, the United States of America lost its innocence, and from now, on you are always going to always be on guard. There is only one way to protect us in the future. We must prepare.”
Miele said while the graduation is a milestone, it is no way the end of the program. “Because something like this has never been attempted before, there’s a little mystery about where we go from here,” said Miele. “But I can definitely say that we are going to do something to keep this going.”
He said that some students might start training with Hoboken’s Volunteer Ambulance Corps to become trained emergency medical technicians, and some students might go with Dr. Caprio to St. Mary to work with the hospital in some capacity.
Senior Naresh Patel said before the ceremony that he has learned many useful lessons by becoming a member of the school’s ERT.
“It has definitely been a great experience,” said Patel. “To be able to help someone on the street who is having an emergency is a great skill to have.”