Armonk Assisted Living Facility Honors First Responders
By Baylor Rosenbaum
There was no safer place in Westchester last Monday than The Bristal assisted living facility in Armonk.
It was wall to wall police, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians as The Bristal honored the men and women who keep the residents of North Castle and surrounding communities safe at a banquet breakfast.
The first Heroes Breakfast at Bristal brought together residents of the facility with the first responders who are regularly called upon to help them.
“It is so important that we have dedicated individuals that respond given our population of senior citizens,” said The Bristal Executive Director Nichola A. Johnson. “This breakfast is to honor the selflessness and service that we are so lucky to have here at The Bristal.”
Answering several calls daily at the Business Park Drive facility, many of the local emergency service workers respond around the clock to provide The Bristal residents and the wider community with police, fire and ambulance coverage.
Bristal resident Beverly Shechtman said she experienced first-hand the importance local first responders play in a town like North Castle. When her husband suffered a heart attack, Shechtman praised the comfort and security they provided her when they answered the call.
“I think they’re the greatest, what can I say?” Shechtman said.
North Castle Police Chief Peter Simonsen said he and his department and the town’s other emergency service providers appreciate the recognition.
“We realize how grateful the residents of Bristal are regarding our services,” Simonsen said.
Since The Bristal opened early last year, there has been an increase in emergency calls to the town, Simonsen said, but the department has been adapting well to the higher volume.
Also attending the Heroes Breakfast were Christy Saltstein and Michele Berliner, founders of Stayin’ Alive, Inc., a charity that supports the first responders of Northern Westchester. Inspired by the dedication and service of local emergency service workers, particularly the North Castle Police Department, Saltstein and Berliner founded Stayin’ Alive after both of their husbands were injured and subsequently rescued during Hurricane Sandy.
The Stayin’ Alive Foundation is holding its second annual 5K Fun Run on Saturday, May 30, which starts at the Windmill Club, located at 10 Maple Way in Armonk, at 8 a.m. All local residents and first responders are encouraged to attend. Registration forms for the event are available at www.stayinalive.org.
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