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LEBANON, ME - On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Lebanon Rescue Chief Samantha J. Cole was honored at the Maine State Capital as part of the celebration of National Volunteer Week. Chief Samantha J. Cole was awarded an Exemplary Service Award in Excellence in Volunteer Administration as part of the 2009 Governors Volunteer Service Awards for her work as the municipal rescue chief for the volunteer Lebanon Rescue Department.

According to the Maine Commission for Community Service, The Maine Commission for Community Service and the Governor’s Office are pleased to announce that April 19th-25th has been proclaimed Volunteer Week across Maine and that all citizens are urged to recognize this observance. Maine joins the national celebration of volunteers across the county during this special week. Maine has a volunteer force of over 356,000 citizens that on average dedicate 44.5 million hours of service each year. The estimated economic contribution of volunteers across the state is $868 million. Volunteers keep our neighborhoods safe, mentor our children, and provide essential services to those in need. In honor of Volunteer Week, Maine’s most outstanding volunteers will be recognized in a special ceremony at the Capitol on April 21st 2009. Award categories include Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Small Business Volunteerism Award, Corporate Volunteerism Award, Outstanding Non-Profit, Excellence in Volunteer Administration, National Service Volunteer Award, and Outstanding Volunteer in a Public Sector Program.

“I was truly honored to be nominated and receive the award. It is truly an award for the dedicated volunteers that make up the rescue department. The volunteers are what truly have made our department so successful and I am very proud to lead this group. The members give so much of their time.” Chief Samantha Cole added. “The volunteers are all part of a large family, when someone needs our help, we are there for them. When our neighbors in the community call for us to help them, we respond no matter what time of the day, or if it is holiday, we respond because we care.”

Chief Samantha Cole has been a member of the Lebanon Rescue Department since 1998. She was promoted to Chief in 2002 and was the first chief under the new municipal ambulance service.

Lebanon Rescue was founded in 1981 and provided first responder services to the Town until 2002, when voters approved to purchase the towns first ambulance. The ambulance service started October 1st, 2002 under Chief Cole. The department responds to about 650 calls annually and volunteers donated over 12,500 manpower hours responding to calls and community service last year.

Samantha was the driving force behind going from a non-transporting first responder service to a fully licensed and highly respected ambulance service. She was the first chief with the new transporting ambulance service. She has developed a department that continues to attract new volunteers to, we receive new applications weekly. She has made the volunteers all feel welcome and needed, which has made our retention so good. We have members who have served over twenty years on the department and agree that Samantha is the reason we have been so successful growing into a fully licensed transporting ambulance service.
Samantha brought the department from a first responder department with little equipment to a department with high-tech and much needed medical equipment. The department has been self-funded for the operating budget for the past few years, including purchasing a new ambulance, new cardiac monitor, new safety gear, upgrading communications and so much more, at no cost to the taxpayers. Samantha has done a phenomenal job receiving grants for the community, including about $60,000 for safety gear, a new Polaris 6x6 Off Road Rescue Vehicle, New AED’s placed through the community, cardiac monitor and much more. Without taking the time to write the grants, we would not have any of this equipment.

The Lebanon Volunteer Rescue Department was honored as one of Maine’s First Three Heart Safe Designated Communities and the first in York County. The State issued the designation at a special ceremony at the State Capital in May 2007. In order to be selected, Lebanon Rescue had to meet strict criteria, including: Community CPR Classes, Advanced Life Support Available, Cardiac Education Classes and Partnering to Offer Community Education Classes on Topics Like Cardiac Emergencies and Strokes. It truly is an honor that Lebanon is proud of!

In December 2008, we experienced a large ice storm that crippled the community. Samantha had pre-planned what would be done if a major event happened. Samantha had crews mobilized right off and our volunteers checked over 700 houses, some of them many times over the 7 days that Lebanon had parts of town without power. Samantha helped evacuate residents to the shelter and drove around making sure the responders who were out checking on others were ok. The community was so grateful for the work the rescue department did and it was thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Chief. She had pre-planned for the emergency and everything went smoothly. Some rescue members worked 16-hour shifts and about 450 manpower hours were recorded. Samantha has pre-planned several events since she became Chief to ensure the citizens are protected.

Lebanon EMT Diane Elliott and her husband EMS Driver Rick Elliott said, “Without Samantha, we wouldn't be where we are today. We all admire her hard work and dedication not only to the department but to us as well. We are not just volunteers or responders to Samantha; we are a group of people that have come together as a family to help our community. Without Samantha’s guidance, training, knowledge and love for her community, Lebanon Rescue would not be here today. Thanks Chief, we love you and are very proud that you received this award, you deserve it!"

The Lebanon Board of Selectmen issued the following statement after hearing of the Chief’s award “The Board of Selectmen would like to congratulate Rescue Chief Samantha Cole upon receiving the Governor’s “Exemplary Service Award in Volunteer Administration. This award spotlights the outstanding dedication and service that Samantha and the entire Rescue Department provide for our community.”

“Since the rescue started transporting patients, we have expanded from about 5 members to about 46 now. We currently have an additional 12 applicants that are in the background stage to become members. Samantha has done an incredible job attracting new members and more importantly, by retaining a great group of volunteers. Samantha puts in about 40 hours a week between emergency calls, mandatory state and local paperwork, training, meetings, teaching classes and quality assurance. She does this on top of having a full time job as a firefighter/paramedic in Sanford, attending college and raising a family.” Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole added.

“Ten years ago when I joined Lebanon Rescue, we were a non-transporting rescue service. Samantha Cole came along and helped change that. With all her dedication to the department, she helped convince the town of the need for Lebanon Rescue to transport the patients as well as to get a new ambulance to do so. Today, we have an ambulance that is 5 years old, that we purchased brand-new. We have become one of the busiest ambulance services in York County, thanks to Samantha's hard work and dedication. She is always willing to listen to the members, whether it is personal or business. To Samantha we are not just Lebanon Rescue volunteers, we are her family, no matter how busy we become. Captain Natasha Kinney added.

Lebanon Rescue EMT Chris Hart added, "Samantha Cole is an exceptional Chief due to the fact that no matter what time of day or night, she is always willing to help anyone in the department and her community. She even tried to help a fellow rescue member who was gone due to military obligations get his EMS license reinstated even though it was expired." EMT Hart just returned from serving over a year in Iraq and is currently finishing a three-month training in Hawaii, he cannot wait to get back to Lebanon and serve his community.

Lebanon Rescue Chaplain and EMT Ron German stated, “It is great for Lebanon Rescue to have such a skilled and compassionate volunteer as Samantha leading our department. From many scene experiences with her I can say she always has the heart and care of the patient first. Thanks Sam for your willingness, skill and your caring.” Pastor German is the longest serving member of the Rescue Department, with over 20 years of service and has seen the department progress from a few members to the successful department it currently is. Besides serving as the Chaplain, Ron has been a chief officer of the department as well.

The Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards were created in 1988 as a way to recognize volunteerism in Maine. These awards honor our state’s most dedicated volunteers and the service they provide to the citizens of Maine. The main purpose of the awards are to share the stories of extraordinary volunteers so they may inspire others to serve.

Some of the accomplishments that Samantha has done since she was appointed chief:

- Was the first chief under the town’s municipal ambulance service established in 2002.
- Obtained the highest training level of paramedic, offering the most advanced services to our community.
- Samantha started the Caring Hands Program. Since 1998, the Lebanon Rescue Department has sponsored the Caring Hands Program. The program checks on seniors and residents with medical problems during storms and large power outages. The program has been very successful! During the Ice Storm in December 2008, we checked on over 700 houses in Lebanon. During the large snowstorm and power outage in February, we checked on 47 houses (mostly Caring Hands Members). The program is free and our volunteers enjoy interacting with the residents. We have helped provide rides to shelters, family members and helped return people after the storm, all by rescue volunteers.
- Received a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to purchase a cardiac monitor in 2002.
- Lebanon was the first Heart Safe Designated Community in York County and one of the first three in the State of Maine.
- Two Assistance to Firefighter Grants for safety gear (about $50,000 worth of Safety Gear over the two years)
- A new Polaris 6x6 off-road rescue vehicle with full patient compartment donated to the rescue through a grant.
- Soon to be delivered is a brand new 2009 Ford Expedition that will be used as a first response vehicle, which is being completely donated by a Maine Foundation (there will be a press release on this soon).
- Several grants for CPR education and first aid classes taught in the community.
- Worked with other town departments to obtain homeland security money to improve security at the town’s rescue and fire stations.
- Established a priority that the website has all the up to date information for residents and to keep them informed.
- Samantha has always done monthly rescue chiefs reports to the community. Starting in January, she started to do weekly rescue chief reports to keep both the community and the responders up to date on rescue happenings.
- Developed comprehensive policies and procedures for the department.
- Samantha has served on many state, county and local committees to help improve emergency medical services within the State.
- Updated equipment for responders to be able to better serve their community.
- Purchased the first brand new ambulance for Lebanon in 2004. Prior to this, the department had utilized a retired ambulance from Sanford, which they obtained in October 2002 when we started transporting. The new ambulance had been paid for by revenue.
- The rescue department operating budget is paid for by revenue the ambulance brings in and donations. The rescue has been able to be self-funded for the operating budget for a couple of years and pay for the new ambulance.
- The rescue department has received several awards for its community service projects under the direction of the Chief.
Samantha has worked hard to involve the community in the rescue operations. We stand by at sporting events, recreation events, perform blood pressure clinics, teach several dozen community CPR and First Aid classes and have helped winterize homes, build ramps for residents with medical conditions and more. We collected nearly 1000 Coats for Kids during the past 2 years. Samantha has taught many community CPR classes in town as well, including town staff, recreation staff, teachers, daycare workers and residents. She does this all for free. She has recently applied for and received a $350.00 grant for the Martin Luther King Day of Service through the Maine Commission for Community Service to teach CPR/AED/First Aid to the area residents. We ended up teaching nearly 50 people from 15 communities that day.

Samantha has also worked with families that have suffered from tragedies. One example is the Hatch Family of River Road that lost their house during a New Years Eve fire in 2006. We collected money and baby items for the family, whose daughter was expecting a child and had lost everything in the fire. And most recently, assisting the family of 15-month-old Ty Gilpatrick by raising money to cover the final expenses after Ty passed away tragically the day after Thanksgiving 2008. The fund had extra money in it and has been used to help several children who needed help at Christmas and another family that lost their young father on Christmas 2008 hours after opening presents with his daughter. The department has helped several other families through toys for tots and other programs.

Samantha has expanded our trainings and expects the members to keep up to date on their training to keep their skills at the highest levels for our patients. She also offers the trainings to surrounding departments to allow them to train with us. Samantha has made it a priority to offer training to all the members and to coach new members. She is always there for the members and always goes above and beyond when dealing with our volunteers. She holds recognition dinners and presents gifts (even with a limited budget! She has bought some items out of her own pocket). Samantha has always welcomed our ideas and suggestions for the department and has developed comprehensive policies and procedures, which our department never had.

The Lebanon Rescue Department has received many tragic calls in the past few years. These calls are extremely hard on the volunteers who try everything they can to save a life. Some of the most recent tragic calls include the double drowning during the Patriots Day flooding in which rescue crews valiantly worked to save the two victims, risking their own lives. The department had responded to several fatal accidents where teens and adults have been killed and have responded to several patients that suffered cardiac arrest and despite the best efforts of the rescue members, did not survive.

Then there are the success stories. These include reviving a toddler that had fallen into a pool and stopped breathing and helping many others come back from near death. These are what make the department member donate over 12,500 manpower hours each year to their community.

Samantha has directed us to make sure the public is involved in the department. With the website, they can see everything that is going on with the department. She also does press releases on all major calls and tries to keep the press up to date on calls.
Samantha has also made it a priority to buy products locally whenever possible. She has developed great ties to the community businesses to keep the money in town.

One of the biggest and most successful projects that Chief Cole has initiated is the patient satisfaction survey. Samantha sends out surveys to the patients we transport and get well cards to them as well. This has caused a huge public support for our department and increased motivation and morale in the department. Our morale has never been so high, and its thanks to the pro-active work that Samantha has done. We have received hundreds of patient surveys and cards, all were excellent. She also has had some suggestions, which she took action on that came from the patient surveys.

Samantha is the type of chief that doesn’t want to be recognized, she would like to see the members recognized. She is always patting us on the back for doing well. This is a way as the department to thank her for her more then 10 years of service and dedication to Lebanon.

“As much as I am honored to receive this award, I think the entire department deserves it because we do this as a team, as a family. These men and women are so incredible, they all deserve to be recognized.” Chief Samantha Cole added.