Contentment Island is a small subdivision in Penhook where residents enjoy panoramic lake views and secluded access. But in times of an emergency, the seclusion can be a liability.

About five years ago, residents Tom Scott and Larry Hutson were out walking together when the topic turned to Hutson's mother-in-law, who had a medical emergency in the early 1990s. Hutson said it took about 30 minutes for emergency personnel to arrive because the subdivision was far off the beaten path.

The discussion was forgotten until about two years ago, when the two men, along with several neighbors, created the Contentment Island Emergency Response Team to help bridge the gap between a 911 call and emergency personnel arrival.

"It doesn't make sense to be out here with no help for 30 minutes," said Scott. "We need to be able to take care of ourselves."

He solicited his neighbors for donations to buy an automated external defibrillator (AED) for the community. Team member Jerry Ruhlen built a box for the unit, and it was placed in a central location within the subdivision for quick access.

The next step, said Scott, was to learn to use the AED and to learn CPR. He called Chuck Murphy, who works for Scruggs Volunteer Rescue Squad and teaches first aid courses. About 45 community members signed up for the class.

"He came out in January 2006 and gave us three hours of CPR and AED training," said Scott, adding that Murphy has returned each year to teach the classes again.

In emergency situations, Scott said the team of nine offers first aid while volunteer rescue squads are en route. The neighbors are contacted via a phone tree. Community residents have a list of instructions for emergency situations, starting with "Call 911." Next, they call someone on the emergency-response team's list. The team then begins contact by phone tree, calling each member to the scene.

If the emergency personnel arrive after 6 p.m., team member Jim Hurlbert lifts the gate to allow rescue vehicles into the community, and he or other team members leads the vehicles to the site of the emergency.

In the past nine months, the team has responded to three emergency calls, said Scott. At the first, Millie Hurlbert, who lives on Contentment Island, arrived to find a woman unconscious and vomiting.

"When I first got there, I thought she was having a stroke," said Hurlbert. "It was a serious reaction to an over-the-counter medicine. ... I just did anything that anyone else would do."

The second incident involved an asthmatic eman who had delivered furniture to a home in the development. Hambrick and Barb Hutson were among the team members on scene to offer assistance when the man suffered an asthma attack.

"The third time was just a few weeks ago, April 23," said Scott. "One of our neighbors stepped off a boat, lost his balance and fell into the water."

It was after 7 p.m., the water was below 60 degrees and Jim Hankla, 71, was too deep in the water for the community team to reach him. But while they were unable to offer first aid to Hankla, they were able to offer comfort to his wife.

"We laid her down so she didn't have to go down to the dock, to the scene," said Barb Hutson. "It's not always a matter of medical help, but to be there for the family."

And, said Scott, to be there for the emergency rescue squads. The team performs little things to help emergency personnel, such as moving cars from the driveway and removing dogs from the scene. Anything, said Scott, to help make their jobs easier and to ensure the survival of their friends and neighbors.

"We're not just a subdivision," said Larry Hutson. "For us, it's a community and we help each other whenever we can."