Nancy Hunger, the newest member of the Oxford Fire Department, had her first day on the job Monday.
The Sylvan Lake resident was hired by the township board last week to be the department’s new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) instructor/coordinator.
‘I’m looking forward to working up here,? she said. ‘I’m anxious to serve the community.?
With a starting wage of $24 per hour plus benefits, Hunger will oversee all aspects of the department’s EMS program, currently in the process of being upgraded by Jan. 1.
‘It’s going to be a big job to advance this department from Basic Life Support, which is what it is right now, to Advanced Life Support, which is what the millage was passed to do,? she said. ‘I look forward to the challenge.?
Oxford voters approved a 1-mill tax in May 2005 to establish and operate an ALS program.
‘The equipment that the Oxford Fire Department has is top of the line as far as the trucks, EKG monitors, stretchers, everything,? Hunger said. ‘Their equipment is the best that money could buy. I think it’s important for the community to know since they just passed a millage for all this equipment. It’s easier to work when you have really good equipment that you can depend on.?
Hunger is responsible for administering the entire EMS program from scheduling personnel and providing continuing education/instruction to maintaining supplies and keeping records.
She’s also a firefighter/paramedic who will respond to fire and EMS incidents during her normal work schedule, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
During medical calls, Hunger will supervise the paramedics and basic Emergency Medical Technicians on the scene and pitch in where needed.
‘I’ll oversee the guys while they’re working, making sure they’re following protocols,? she said. ‘Basically, make sure everyone’s doing what they should be doing,?
Hunger will also be available for off-hours calls if she can get to the scene within an hour.
‘If we have something like a large house fire or multi-casualty incident, I’ll come here,? she said.
Teamwork is a concept Hunger truly believes in and lives by.
‘I’ve never been the type of person to come in and try to take over or say I can do something better than you,? she said.
Because ‘every person has their limitations,? Hunger said it’s important for people to work together, each contributing their strengths and talents.
Prior to Oxford, Hunger spent 11 years working as a paramedic for American Medical Response (AMR), a private ambulance service, and field training officer.
‘I trained new paramedics to work on the road,? she told township officials.
Hunger also spent 10 years as a paid-on-call EMS coordinator, firefighter and lieutenant for the Tri-City Fire Department, which served the cities of Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake.
The Tri-City FD closed in 2003 and the three cities are now served by the West Bloomfield Fire Department.
Tri-City is where Hunger got her start in 1993 and developed her love of providing and teaching EMS care.
Armed with associate degrees in criminal justice and law enforcement from Oakland Community College, Hunger was originally planning to go into police work.
But her career plans were put on hold when she met her husband of 17 years, Jack, and the couple had a baby soon after they were married. They have two sons, John, 23, and Joshua, 16.
Once her son Joshua turned four, Hunger decided it was time to go to work.
‘My community was looking for volunteer firefighters,? she said. ‘I saw it in the newspaper and thought ‘I can do that.??
Hunger soon found her niche, providing EMS care.
‘I advanced myself from basically being a housewife to a paramedic in about three years,? she said.
A few years later she started teaching others. She enjoys seeing her students understand what she’s taught and apply it in the field.
‘I like seeing the light bulb go off,? she said.
Hunger continues to work part-time as an EMS coordinator for the Orchard Lake Police Department, training the officers as medical first responders and keeping their licenses up-to-date. She’s worked there since 1997.
When she’s not working, Hunger enjoys boating, camping, exercising, participating in community theater and geocaching.
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called geocaches or caches) anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and ‘treasure,? usually toys or trinkets of little monetary value.
No stranger to local politics, her husband Jack is nearing the end of his first three-year term on the Sylvan Lake City Council. He didn’t seek re-election this year.