Latest News

North Fork Holiday Marketplace Returns to Hotchkiss

The North Fork Holiday Marketplace hosted by North Fork EMS will be held Friday, November 19^th from 10am – 6pm and Saturday, November 20^th from 9am – 4pm at Heritage Hall in Hotchkiss. Homemade items, holiday gifts and other goodies will be available from local crafters and businesses. Lunch will be offered both days, as well as a Tin Can Raffle. Lunch will include brats and burgers on Friday and Navajo tacos on Saturday. Homemade desserts will also be offered both days!

Proceeds from the lunches will support senior meals in the North Fork Valley, and proceeds from the raffle will go towards placing AEDs in various locations in Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford.  The North Fork Ambulance Auxiliary will match earnings from both fundraisers! Contact Katie with any questions at khedley@nfems.com or 970-201-3423. Please come out and enjoy a wonderful holiday event!

Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) Program Begins in the North Fork Valley

Strength and balance training for older adults has proven to help reduce the risk of falls. With over 3 million treated in emergency departments each year for fall injuries, fitness classes for adults 65+ are extremely valuable to communities. In the North Fork Valley, over 20% of 9-1-1 calls are for people who are not taken to the hospital, but need help getting up after a fall. Doing regular strength, balance and flexibility exercises is a great way to relieve stress, sleep better, grow stronger, and maintain a healthy, independent life.

Starting this fall, North Fork EMS is excited to offer the Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) program to the North Fork Valley. SAIL is an evidence-based falls prevention program designed for older adults. In 2007, a foundational research study for the SAIL program was published in the Journal of Gerontology. In September 2012, SAIL was recognized as a Title IIID – Evidence-Based Program by the Administration on Aging, meeting the highest level of criteria for an evidence-based program.

The SAIL program is able to accommodate people with a mild level of mobility difficulty (e.g. people who are occasional cane users), and may be done sitting or standing. The class consists of the following components: warm up, aerobics, balance exercises, strength exercises, stretching and education.

The one-hour class will be held in Hotchkiss, Crawford and Paonia, two times a week in each community beginning September 28th. Classes will be led by Elise Wages and Lindi Mereness, who completed the SAIL Instructor training this summer. All classes are offered for free as the program is funded by a North Fork EMS grant through the State of Colorado. Donations are welcome to help sustain the program once the grant runs out in June of 2022. See the class schedule below for details on times and locations.

With Falls Prevention Awareness Week happening September 20-24, this is a wonderful time to check out the SAIL program. Let’s support our community in staying active and independent! For more information on the class, contact Katie at 970-201-3423 or khedley@nfems.com.

SAIL Class Schedule