EMS services in Amenia provide emergency assistance and community connection

Local Matters

EMS services in Amenia provide emergency assistance and community connection

Dawn Marie Klingner, Amenia’s EMT Captain

Leila Hawken
“My father and my grandfather were firemen. There is something in the blood when it comes to giving back.”
— Dawn Marie Klingner, EMS Captain

Aligned with many aspects of Amenia, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have a solid history of personal commitment from volunteers who take pride in their service and training, which prepares them to provide aid and comfort in times of emergency.

EMS Captain Dawn Marie Klingner, who has served as Amenia’s town clerk for 13 years, exemplifies that sense of community commitment. Her service to the Amenia Fire Company began in 2006 at the urging of Chief Shawn Howard. She began as district secretary and treasurer, a position she continues to hold.

Training in fire police duties ensued, enabling her to direct traffic during emergencies. She then trained in scene support and later learned to assist with exterior firefighting. Nexts came an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training class. Both giving and receiving training are ongoing parts of her role.

The Klingners are an EMT family, well known locally for their service. Dawn’s husband, Chris, has served as an EMT for 30 years. Their son, Zach, began at 16 to volunteer with the Amenia Fire Company and has served for seven years as both a firefighter and EMT.Their daughter, Karlie, now has six years of service as an EMT.

“I’m here to help my community and all of the residents and visitors alike,” Klingner said of her various roles within the community, finding that they are all related, bound by commitment to service.

“My father and my grandfather were firemen. There is something in the blood when it comes to giving back,” Klingner added.

“Every call has a special meaning,” Klingner said of emergency calls, noting that each one presents its own set of circumstances. She emphasized that follow-up care is also important to show that EMS and the community care. “It can be an emotional roller coaster,” she said.

“You just want to be there to hold a hand,” she added.

“Balance is important,” Klingner said of life as an EMT. “We are learning how to balance family life, raising children and volunteering. It is not easily learned.”

“We are constantly trying to recruit new members,” Klingner said, encouraging anyone interested in knowing more to contact her in the Town Clerk’s office or come to the fire department on Mechanic Street any Monday at 6:30 p.m. to obtain an application.

Latest News

Classifieds - October 23, 2025

Help Wanted

Weatogue Stables has an opening: for a full time team member. Experienced and reliable please! Must be available weekends. Housing a possibility for the right candidate. Contact Bobbi at 860-307-8531.

Services Offered

Hector Pacay Service: House Remodeling, Landscaping, Lawn mowing, Garden mulch, Painting, Gutters, Pruning, Stump Grinding, Chipping, Tree work, Brush removal, Fence, Patio, Carpenter/decks, Masonry. Spring and Fall Cleanup. Commercial & Residential. Fully insured. 845-636-3212.

Keep ReadingShow less
School spirit on the rise at Housy

Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.

Hunter Conklin and Danny Lesch

As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Student initiatives shake up Homecoming
The poster promoting the Homecoming dance boasted the event would feature dancing, games and a bonfire. Reactions to the planned move outside were mixed, with some students excited about the changes and others expressing a desire for tradition.
Provided

The weekend of Homecoming at HVRHS was packed with events including rival games under the lights, senior night, and a new take on Homecoming that moves it outside — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the students of Housatonic.

Orchestrating was no easy feat, especially considering much of the work was left up to the students.

Keep ReadingShow less
Housy takes on Halloween
Housatonic Valley Regional High School
File photo

As the chilly breeze settles in, Halloween approaches and the community yearns for spooky festivities — HVRHS has answered that calling. An event held annually for the past eight years, the HVRHS haunted house has returned.

The event is organized by the current senior and junior year classes — 2026 and 2027 respectively — and held to raise money that goes toward the junior and senior class’s activities such as senior week, prom, the senior class trip, and more.

Keep ReadingShow less