Seven Emergency Medical Technicians to
Serve on St. John’s Campuses
Undoubtedly, it was a busy semester for seven students enrolled in
St. John’s University’s
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic Program. Not only were
they attending classes from 6-10 p.m., three nights a week from
September through mid-December, they were also working full-time in
their day jobs.
With nearly 200 hours of instruction under their belts, plus an
additional 16 hours of practical work, the seven
students—Department of Public Safety’s Lieutenant Ralph Pascullo,
Sergeant Roger Monaco, and Officers Ralph Torres, Kim Vallely,
Stephen Ptacek, Joseph Woods and Edison Sandoval—are now New York
State-certified EMTs. They received their New York State
certification alongside 24 of their fellow students at a January
15th ceremony on the Queens campus.
In the ceremony’s opening prayer, Campus Minister Sr. Annelle
Fitzpatrick, CSJ, Ph.D., made the cogent connection between the
work of St. John’s patron saint, St. Vincent de Paul, and the EMT
profession that the class of 31 students is now entering.
“You minister to the sick, the injured, the fearful, the
dying. You are healer and consoler. Like St. Vincent, you have been
called to the noble profession of service to those in need of hope,
service and healing.”
That theme echoed throughout the celebration. In congratulating the
new EMTs, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions Dean
Robert A. Mangione, Ed.D., R.Ph., pointed out that the EMT program
embodies the University’s Vincentian mission of service to those
most in need, which is deeply embedded in the University culture
and manifested by a strong compassion and concern for the poor and
disadvantaged.
“It is remarkable how closely your program fits the mission,” he
told the new EMTs. “You ask for nothing at all, you just work hard.
You put yourself in harm’s way when others would shy away from it.
You knock on doors with courage, not knowing what lies behind them.
You put your life on the line for others.”
Enhanced Service to the University
Community
The seven new EMTs will continue their duties as Public Safety
officers on St. John’s campuses but now have the ability and
expertise to assist the University community with medical issues
and emergencies that might arise.
“This is a historic day for Public Safety,” said Thomas Lawrence,
Vice President of Public Safety, in his remarks. “I’m very proud
that these officers volunteered for the program and did it all on
their own personal time. It was a lot of work on top of their
assigned Public Safety responsibilities.”
Vice President Lawrence also pointed out that one of the
officers—Officer Ptacek—has already been confronted with a
life-and-death medical emergency on the Queens campus. In 2008,
Officer Ptacek responded to an emergency call, performed CPR and
used an Automated External Defibrillator to restart the heart of a
young man who had collapsed while playing recreational
basketball.
Above and beyond State Requirements
Having Emergency Medical Technicians located on campus facilitates
a more rapid response in a medical emergency, states Frank Riboni,
Director of the Emergency Medical Services Institute , a unit of
the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions that, since
1991, has trained thousands of students in the New York
metropolitan area for careers as paramedics and emergency medical
technicians.
Mr. Riboni notes that EMTs perform a number of vital tasks
including oxygen administration, cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR), and bleeding control, among many others. In addition, he
points out that St. John’s EMT program goes above and beyond the
State requirements and is the only one in the New York metropolitan
area (and maybe even beyond) to require a 12-hour rotation on a New
York City 911 ambulance and offer the option of a six-hour rotation
in the morgue of the City’s Office of the Medical Examiner.
“These requirements enhance the program coursework,” he
points out. “They offer students ‘hands-on’ experience that can’t
be duplicated anywhere. The students absolutely love it and we love
providing them with the tools to succeed in their profession.”