Princeton rescue squad marks year of dedicated service

Demand for service steadily rises as contributions decline.

By: David Campbell
   They are your co-workers, neighbors, strangers you pass on the street. In the event of an emergency or accident, they could very well be the ones who save your life.
   The Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad’s 60 or so volunteers are drawn from all walks of life. Mark Mandel, the squad’s president, is a Princeton University graduate student in molecular biology.
   Done with his course work now, he spends much of his time in the lab. But he always wears his beeper — which, in fact, went off while he was being interviewed for this story.
   Mr. Mandel, who has been on the squad for four years and also was a rescue volunteer while an undergraduate at Cornell University, says the work can be stressful and emotionally taxing, but very satisfying.
   "I really like that no matter who calls, they get our service," he said. "It doesn’t matter if they are a resident or a visitor. It doesn’t matter what their economic status is, or any other characteristic about them except that they need help."
   On Monday night, Mr. Mandel and Greg Paulson, the squad’s chief, presented their 2002 annual report to the Princeton Township Committee.
   In recognition of the squad’s public-safety role in the community, township Mayor Phyllis Marchand issued a proclamation declaring "EMS Week" in Princeton.
   The weeklong celebration of EMS volunteers is a national one sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians, and honors the 750,000 emergency-medical providers nationwide who deliver lifesaving care.
   The theme this year is "EMS: When it Matters Most," reminding everyone that these trained volunteers, otherwise anonymous members of the community in many cases, are there for residents in their moment of need.
   This week also marks the completion of Emergency Medical Technician training of eight new members. For the first time, the class was held on the Princeton University campus in a joint program by Capital Health System, the university and the Princeton squad.
   The squad, which includes two paid full-time career EMTs, is a nonprofit and nonbilling group trained to handle all types of medical and technical rescue emergencies, according to the 2002 report.
   Last year, its members responded to 1,995 requests for service, a 5-percent increase over 2001. Mr. Mandel said indications suggest that number will rise by at least another 5 percent this year.
   The squad’s average response time for emergency calls is four minutes and 12 seconds, according to the report.
   The American Ambulance Association considers high-performance systems those that respond to at least 90 percent of their emergency calls in less than nine minutes. Princeton First Aid exceeded the standard on almost 95 percent of their calls last year, the report said.
   Volunteers donate their time to the squad to ride an average of one eight-hour shift per week. All are certified EMTs through a standardized training program consisting of 120 hours of classroom and practical experience.
   That training is supplemented with continuing education and regular drills on topics like toxicology, respiratory emergencies, legal issues and others, according to the 2002 report.
   The 64-year-old organization is funded primarily through fund-drive donations, as well as by unsolicited donations, joint Princeton funding, insurance reimbursement, matching gifts and other sources. In the last two years, the number of contributions has declined 12 percent, the report said.
   According to Mr. Mandel, the most stressful part of the job is dealing with the families of patients.
   "Dealing with families for me personally can be the most stressful," he said. "You’re focused when treating a patient, you’re doing what you need to do at the moment. But after that, explaining it to the family, that can be the toughest part."
   Mr. Paulson, a professional paramedic who has been a first-aid volunteer for a decade, said the rewards outweigh the emotional stresses.
   "The most emotionally challenging thing is the unpredictability," Mr. Paulson said. "You can have an entire shift without calls, then the next shift you don’t get back to the station once in eight hours. It’s challenging but at the same time rewarding, and the reward outweighs any negative emotional drain."
   Mr. Paulson likened EMS to the modern-day equivalent of the physician’s house call. But in the case of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, the caretakers are many.
   "Our members come from all parts of the community," the chief said.