EMTs send SOS for volunteers

The Lawrence Township Emergency First Aid Squad’s roster of volunteers has dwindled from about 30 members to 18 members, according to Dean Acquaviva, the squad’s chief.

By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
When Dean Acquaviva joined the Lawrence Township Emergency First Aid Squad 15 years ago, volunteers raced to the squad building on Pilla Avenue to be assured of a seat on the ambulance.
   The first aid squad had about 30 volunteer members who were ready to ride on the ambulance to help their friends, neighbors and strangers, said Mr. Acquaviva, who is the squad’s chief. All were vying to ride on the rig.
   Today, while the need for volunteers continues to grow, the number of volunteers has dwindled to 18 people — and that’s why the squad is putting out an SOS call of its own, he said.
   "We are at a low ebb," said Mr. Acquaviva. "We have enough people to fill a shift, but people can’t always come in for their shift. We are looking for more volunteers."
   Emergency medical services are provided daytime by a staff of four emergency medical technicians who work for Lawrence Township, seven days a week. In the evening, the squad’s volunteers pick up the slack. Their shifts start at 6 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. weekdays, and from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the weekend.
   There are no plans to convert the volunteer squad into a paid squad, Mr. Acquaviva said. An ambulance is always available to callers — whether it is a Lawrence ambulance or one from a neighboring town, if the Lawrence unit is unavailable, he said. Lawrence Township has a mutual aid agreement with neighboring towns for emergency services.
   The ideal volunteer crew is made up of three people — a state-certified EMT, a driver and an assistant to the EMT, Mr. Acquaviva said. The assistant may be a volunteer who is not a certified EMT, but who can help out, he said. The driver must be certified in advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but not necessarily an EMT, he said.
   A three-member crew offers some advantages, said Marie Tagliaferri, president of the Lawrence squad. While the rest of the crew tends to the patient, the third member can help to calm the family members, for example, she said.
   More often, though, the crew consists of two people — an EMT and a driver, Mr. Acquaviva said. He said he would like to have 30 volunteers, so it would be more likely that the crew would consist of two EMTs and a driver.
   To become a certified EMT, a volunteer must take a 120-hour course, Mr. Acquaviva said. The state picks up the tab for the cost of the course, as long as the volunteer is associated with a first aid squad, he said.
   Volunteers may be as young as 16 years old, who are enrolled in the cadet program, he said. The cadet, who must be certified in advanced CPR, assist the EMTs. When a cadet turns 18 and passes the EMT course, he or she may become a full member, he said.
   "Being a cadet is a great learning experience," Mr. Acquaviva said. "When they become 18, they are ready to ride. The ideal is to have people come up (through the cadet program) and spend time in the back of the ambulance and learn."
   Volunteers come from all walks of life, said Ms. Tagliaferri. The volunteers include a nursing student, two pre-medical students and a computer technician specialist, she said.
   The reasons for volunteering are as diverse as the volunteers themselves, she said. For example, she worked as a medical technician at Capital Health Systems at Fuld, until she left to take a job at the state Department of Health and Senior Services.
   "I worked in a lab (at DHSS) when I started volunteering at the squad," said Ms. Tagliaferri, who now works part time in the nurse’s office at Lawrence Middle School. "I missed the patient contact."
   Mr. Acquaviva, who is a computer technician, began his volunteer service as a result of watching his father’s health slowly decline. The family, who lived in Ewing, called on that municipality’s ambulance service.
   It became clear to him that there was a need for volunteers, Mr. Acquaviva said. He decided to put himself in a position where he could make a difference — as a volunteer EMT.
   Mr. Acquaviva said it was also a natural step to take, because he had considered a career in medicine. It made sense to volunteer because he could put his interest and knowledge to use, he added.
   Asked why it is more difficult to attract volunteers, Mr. Acquaviva speculated that the faster pace of life today may be one reason why fewer people are engaged in volunteering. There is more competition for one’s leisure time, he said.
   "People had more leisure time 15 years ago," he said. "It’s a faster paced world today. You have to take the children to soccer or to lessons. If you get a night to yourself, you want it for yourself."
   It is unusual to find volunteers who stay on for 15 or 20 years, as both he and Ms. Tagliaferri have done, Mr. Aquaviva said. He has volunteered for 15 years and Ms. Tagliaferri has been a volunteer for 20 years.
   "There is the normal attrition with older members," he said. "Five or six years (of volunteer service) is a fairly good run. People don’t have it in them to keep going. Other people are here for a year (as volunteers) and then they move on to another location."
   It’s the satisfaction of helping people, however, that keeps Ms. Tagliaferri from resigning. She is a driver for the Lawrence Township Emergency First Aid Squad.
   "People are thankful to see you when you pull up in the ambulance," she said. "It’s rewarding. We comfort them, and that’s more than enough, sometimes. You have to have some kind of rapport with the patients. They need someone to listen to them."
   Persons who are interested in volunteering may contact the Lawrence Township Emergency First Aid Squad by calling (609) 883-6299 or by visiting the squad after 6 p.m.