TLVRS Supervisor Josh Clement said he got the idea to create this new class of volunteers from talking with friends in the Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad, which has the “manpower” classification.

At first, he’ll train them in assisting the EMTs with patient care in the back of the ambulance, assisting with defibrillators or CPR, and even driving the ambulance.

The manpower volunteers don’t have to be EMT trained. They do need a first aid and CPR certification card from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association and to be good at following directions from EMTs. These certifications are offered through instructors at TLVRS.

Manpower volunteers are limited in what they can do, but helpful — particularly in the most severe situations.

The Tupper Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad is seeking “manpower” volunteers currently to lend helping hands to EMTs amid a shortage of members. (Provided photo — Josh Clement)

In recent months, Clement said they’ve had a number of traumatic and life-threatening calls — including several overdoses. They need more hands in the vehicles, he said.

“A lot of our calls recently have been true emergencies, so when you only have two people on an ambulance — the driver and the EMT — sometimes there’s not enough hands to go around, especially during transport,” Clement said. “Especially for critical patients, one person in the back of the ambulance doesn’t do the job.”

Transportation for TLVRS usually takes 30 to 40 minutes as they have to drive to Saranac Lake to get to Adirondack Medical Center.

After manpower volunteers learn the ropes, they can become more permanent or get more training to move into one of the more involved roles.

Clement put out the call on Wednesday night, after a TLVRS board meeting and getting the blessing from members. He said he’s received around 10 responses already — more than he expected. Eight of the applicants are also already certified nursing assistants. They aren’t certified EMTs, but the share the skill set.

To get involved in the manpower volunteer program, email the TLVRS at tupperlakerescue@gmail.com or call them at 518-359-9321.

“If you or someone you know has been thinking for joining but being a driver sounds to overwhelming (after all an ambulance is over $400,000) and doing all the training to be an EMT doesn’t fit your schedule, this would be a great opportunity,” Clement wrote in a social media post.

Clement said the department has 10 paid staff and 12 volunteers — around half of these are fully active. The department requires a minimum of 12 hours of service a month.

TLVRS has had an influx of “new kids” who started in the ages 16 to 18 junior program Clement introduced last year. Several of these high school volunteers recently had birthdays and could become full members. They’re putting in more than 100 hours a month each, he said.

“They’re very committed,” Clement said.

These young adults want to do emergency medical work as a career — two are now EMTs and one is taking an advanced EMT class. Unfortunately, he said TLVRS is capped out at its paid staff right now.

When Clement started volunteering in 2015, there were around 30 to 40 members — mostly volunteers with around five paid staff. Over time, the number of paid staff has risen because people want to get paid for their work.

It’s hard to find volunteers able to put in the long hours needed to become an EMT. The EMT training includes nearly 400 hours of class time.

“People with full-time jobs, it doesn’t really fit into their schedule,” Clement said.

He comes from a “fire family” — his grandfather was a firefighter, as were his uncles in the Navy, and several of his friends are in the field.

He encouraged people to get their foot in the door through this manpower volunteer program.

“Just do it,” Clement said. “The worst thing that could come about is you don’t like it.”

He said the manpower program will help people get over the biggest hurdle — not knowing what to expect.

“We’re not going to throw people to the wolves,” he said, adding that experts like himself will guide them and make sure they’re trained and comfortable. It’s a chance to try it out and see if they like it.

He said if someone is in the department for a year, they get their EMT training paid for by the department, with the state reimbursing a large portion of the cost.

Clement’s been involved in emergency medical work for 10 years. It is hard work, with long hours and low pay, he said. Last summer, he was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to his work on the job. But he said it’s important work.

“I love helping people,” Clement said.

He found he had a knack for acting well under pressure, being there for people’s worst days. For him, it’s part of being in his community, along with things like leading Boy Scouts or coaching youth sports.

Around the country, volunteer ambulance services are down in membership. A large part of it, he said, is the paid staff members don’t get paid what they’re worth. This is a national problem.

Ambulances have expensive equipment, which has only gotten more expensive. An ambulance that cost the department $200,000 a few years ago costs $400,000 now. Clement said they put 80,000 miles on the medical vehicles a year. Every stretcher and cardiac monitor costs around $40,000 each. The stretcher lift, which they need because of lack of manpower, costs $80,000.

The department gets contract money from the municipalities it serves, but this comes out to “pennies” compared to what their expenses are. The majority of their income comes from insurance money and donations.

Clement hopes this volunteer manpower program will give the TLVRS a more stable future.