All-volunteer squad still is seeking more members
By John Tredrea
Pennington First Aid Squad (PFAS) President Dan Boone announced Monday the squad has 20 new members, all of whom have recently passed a rigorous Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course.
"We began the course with 39 people," Mr. Boone told members of Pennington Borough Council on Monday night. "Twenty-nine finished it. Of those, 20 will ride with Pennington First Aid. Eight others will ride with Pennington as their second squad. So we have gained 28 new members."
Mr. Boone and Julie Aberger, also of PFAS and like him one of the instructors in the EMT course, thanked council for letting the squad use Borough Hall for a recent graduation ceremony for the new EMTs. The course itself was given at the PFAS headquarters on Broemel Place.
"To our surprise, the ceremony turned out to be too big for Borough Hall. About 120 or 130 people came," Mr. Boone said.
He said the PFAS, which is expected to have answered about 1,000 calls during 2005, is an all-volunteer squad that still is seeking new members. Recruits must be at least 16 years old, he said. For more information, call PFAS at 737-0479.
Ms. Aberger said: "The recruitment and retention of volunteers is a slippery slope. The rate of attrition is high. Volunteer squads all over our state have gone out of business. We will let council know of any problems we encounter."
"Please do," replied council President Weed Tucker. "And well done. Our lives are in your hands. You have always been there when we needed you."

