Robert “RJ†Pensivy first joined the Lenox Fire Department at age 16, as a junior member. He became a full member at 18, and joined the Ambulance Squad. He took an EMT course, and a paramedic course two years later. He has been a paramedic for a year and a half. He has worked full-time at County Ambulance as a paramedic. Pensivy grew up in Lenox. He said his father had been with the fire department as far back as he could remember — he was always leaving at odd hours, and telling stories about his calls. Last February, Pensivy took a newly created job with the town.
As Lenox’s new ambulance department coordinator, Pensivy supplements the volunteer ambulance staff during the day. He is concentrating now on volunteer recruitment and a new ambulance. He also handles paperwork, pays the bills, washes the ambulance, restocks it, changes the oxygen cylinders, and generally does work the ambulance volunteers used to do. His responsibilities are changing as he goes, he said, and it is challenging. He wants to be sure he does the job right.
Pensivy is running an ambulance squad recruitment drive, and helping fire department to recruit as well. He has sent letters to local businesses and met with the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, to forge what he calls a Partnership in Public Safety. Pensivy has asked local businesses to let an employee volunteer be on call for an hour or two a day, during working hours. The ambulance squad trains volunteers as either firefighters or EMTs. Volunteers can improve public safety at their businesses, too. They are covered by town insurance while on call, Pensivy added, as special town employees.
He will ask non-chamber businesses, too. He has spent time talking with high school students and handing out fliers at town meetings. Any help is appreciated.
Lenox, like many Berkshire towns, has trouble getting volunteers during the day. People are working and spending time with families, Pensivy said. And a study the school department ran a couple of years ago found the average age of Lenox residents is 61. “I don’t know many 61-year-old people who want to get up at 2 a.m. to go out on calls,†he said. He added, though, that there are people of all ages on the squad. At least one volunteer has been with the squad since it started more than 20 years ago.
Pensivy is making a big push to get as many volunteers as possible, he said, so they can answer a growing number of calls without burning out the present staff. The town bylaws ask volunteers for one night a week, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., or whatever they can spare. In the end, Pensivy said, the time commitment will depend on the number of volunteers he can muster.
This year, he estimated that the squad will respond to at least 600 ambulance calls. They answered 587 calls in 2000, and are already ahead of where they were this time last year; they were 42 calls ahead by the beginning of May. All calls are logged on computer for tracking and quality control, Pensivy said. He suggested calls kept increasing because of the number of retirement communities in town. Edgecombe is opening up again, and there are Cameron House, Kimball Farms, and the new Cranwell housing.
He added that the town population more than doubles in the summers. He does not see the demand for the ambulance dropping any time soon. He said Lenox ambulance was one of the busiest in the county, behind Pittsfield, the privately-owned services, and maybe the shared ambulance in Lee and Stockbridge, and most buildings in Lenox have fire alarms. The Lenox station also has a mutual aid agreement with Lee, and ambulance covers Stockbridge as far as Route 183, Hawthorne Causeway. During the summer, they take care of Camp Mah-Kee-Nac.
The ambulance squad now has 21 volunteers, plus the Lenox firefighter-EMT. State law requires that two EMTs ride on each call; if the ambulance team needs a second EMT, the EMT Firefighter will cover for them. They are lucky, Pensivy said, to have some volunteers that are mill workers with night shifts. These volunteers can answer calls during the day. Two local businesses do allow EMT employees to be on call during their daytime work hours.
The Lenox Fire Department and ambulance pay for all volunteer training. EMTs take a 110-hour course [check this] and the Mass. EMT exam. They also receive CPR and first responders’ training, Pensivy said, “so they can ride along with us and get comfortable caring for patients.†The ambulance squad has three first responders now, he said One is trained as an EMT; one will be training his September; one is still getting his feet wet. Volunteers go at their own pace, and can ride as observers as often as they like. The requirements are minimal: they have to be able to drive the van and do some lifting. Volunteers are rarely injured, he said. There is some risk of slipping on ice, or lifting something wrong.
Volunteers get a stipend for every call, to take care of gas and clothing damage. Each squad member is given a pager and a radio. The pager reports the location of a call; volunteers radio in to say they are coming. Before Pensivy took over his position, the squad handled its own administration. The president, vice president, and secretary, all of whom are elected, still hold monthly business meetings.
Pensivy runs with the fire department on structure calls. The ambulance squad was once part of the fire department, he said. When the state required ambulance squad members to become EMTs, the fire department dropped the service. Volunteers picked it up, and the ambulance squad became a separate body. The current squad formed in 1974.
The station has a fire prevention line, and handles emergency calls through 911. Emergencies are dispatched out of Pittsfield, Pensivy said. Lenox had a custodian dispatcher who became a firefighter in the reorganization in 1974. Lenox created a firefighter EMT position in 1994. The town has three full-time firefighters under Fire Chief Dan Clifford (Pensivy said the town is filling one position now). The fire department also has 10 relief staff to take care of vacation times and sick time.
Pensivy also participates in public safety education programs. He gave a drunk driving demonstration at Lenox Memorial High School in May, with the police and fire departments. They “wrecked†one car with a drunk driver and passengers with and without seat belts, and the passenger without a seat belt was thrown clear of the car and “died.†Police took the “driver†through the tests a suspected drunk driver would face, Pensivy said. Ned Roche from the funeral home came and picked up the “deceased†passenger. That made the kids think, he said. And if they scared even one student, they were doing their jobs. He also appeared at a health fair at LMHS.
Pensivy is also working on getting the town a new ambulance. The new ambulance will replace the current one; they try to replace the town ambulance every five years, Pensivy said. With so many different drivers, it does get beat on. He has written the specifications for the new ambulance and made appointments with manufacturers to see 10 different models. Lenox has its ambulances custom built, because its garage ceiling old and is unusually low (102 inches, whereas most ambulances are 108 inches high). Once Pensivy recommends a model, the specifications will go out to bid for a month, and the manufacturers estimate six to nine months for delivery.
The ambulance squad will not, therefore, have a new garage before they get their new ambulance. This year’s town budget included funds to plan renovations to the firehouse. A consultant will come in at the beginning of June, Pensivy said. With Town Hall under renovation, the ambulance squad has lost its meeting room and most of its storage space. They now keep supplies under the Lenox House Country Shops, below the old Silver Sleigh. They stop regularly to resupply there.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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