Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad will hold Mini-EMS Academy on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
By: Melissa Hayes
In an effort to educate the community on first aid and CPR, and to recruit new members, each of the township’s three first aid squads will be hosting a Mini-EMS Academy.
Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad on New Road will be the first to host the program, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
"We’re teaching them the whole process," Squad Capt. Ann Flemming said.
Participants will learn "Friends and Family" level CPR training, which does not certify them but teaches them the basics, she said.
The squad also will educate participants on the local EMS agencies and their rescue capabilities, and will go over defibrillator basics.
Ms. Flemming said she hopes the classes get people interested in joining a squad.
"All three first aid squads are desperately in need of volunteers," she said.
This is the first real recruiting effort being carried out by the squads.
"We have just progressively over the years lost people," Ms. Flemming said. "People have moved, gotten married, had children and we really haven’t had any time to do recruiting."
She said that all of the volunteers work full time and understand that many people simply do not have any spare time to donate, but they are willing to take anything.
"We’re looking for kids in high school that want to go into medical careers, people that are retired and can drive," she said.
The squads are even looking for people to do a few hours of secretarial work.
Ms. Flemming said people interested in joining one of the squads may get to go along on an emergency call.
"We’re hoping that we can do an actual call. One of the concerns with that is the confidentiality of who the patient is," she said. "But if they’re interested enough, we will try to get them on an actual call."
The Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad also keeps an ambulance in the firehouse on Georges Road, Ms. Flemming said. This way the squad can cover more terrain, and it is closer for the people who live in the Dayton area, she said.
The same program will be held at Kendall Park First Aid Squad on Oct. 28 and Kingston First Aid Squad on Nov. 4.