As part of our 50th celebration, we will be introducing you to some of our members. We are excited to share their stories and how they serve our community. This week we are happy to feature Hannah Schilke.

Hannah Schilke
Hometown: Westerly

Charlestown Ambulance Rescue EMT Hannah Schilke is committed to serving others, and her altruistic spirit shines through in everything she does. Hannah’s 7 years of volunteering at CARS is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her work in service and when she's not at Rescue, she’s working with students at a special education day school as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or serving alongside her family as a fourth generation Schilke at the Dunn’s Corners Fire Department. As a Lieutenant at DCFD, Hannah says her experience at CARS has allowed her to flourish in the role and was instrumental in helping her successfully grow the Department’s EMS program. “I am so grateful for everyone at rescue who has taken the opportunity to mentor me and answer all my questions so I can bring that knowledge back to DCFD to continue to build our program,” says Hannah. “The partnership between CARS and local fire departments like DCFD is one of its strengths.”

One of Hannah’s most memorable experiences as a CARS EMT was her involvement in helping deliver a baby in the ambulance- “I can’t even describe how incredibly beautiful that experience was!” Hannah’s favorite areas of CARS include the rescue swimmer program and the tech side of rescue. She says she loves that the organization not only equips its members with invaluable training and lifelong skills, but goes above and beyond to make them feel truly empowered. “In the few years I have been a member at CARS, I have seen such growth in the department. I'm grateful for the opportunity to reflect on how far the department has come over the last 50 years and I can't wait to see where it can go in the future. In CARS, everyone brings something different to the table and we are able to play on each other’s strengths to be successful.”