In New Jersey there are more than 30,000 EMTs, paramedics and first responders who are out there on the front line saving the lives of strangers each and every day. EMS week affords us all the opportunity to recognize these individuals for the sacrifices they make while ensuring the welfare of others is their main priority. The individuals of the EMS community are either volunteer members of a local first aid and rescue squad, or they are terribly underpaid career providers. All members of the EMS community are professionals who are rarely recognized or thanked for their daily heroics. Whether it is holding the hand of a dying cancer patient or cutting a car’s steel from around an injured child’s body, each one of them makes a difference daily to someone in need.
People often ask what can they do to thank these fine individuals. Here are a few suggestions: send a thank you card; join your local squad – many have positions available for those who do not wish to participate on an ambulance; make a monetary donation to your local squad; in the event of a loved one’s death ask for donations to be made to your local squad in lieu of flowers; call your local squad and ask if there is a piece of equipment you can donate; have pizza delivered on their meeting night; drop off prepackaged snacks for those long shifts; before selling a car, computer, or furniture, ask your local squad if you can donate it to them; if you are a business offer your local squad a discount on goods or services. The numerous ways to say thank you are endless – one florist even sent flowers every day for several weeks as his way of thanking his local squad.
Please remember the EMS population is not growing at the same rate our state population is. We need to preserve the individuals who have chosen EMS as their calling and we should each play any small part in its survival that we can. As an American I am proud to be a volunteer, and married to a volunteer as we continue our family tradition that dates back four generations.
For information about your local squad, contact us at www.NBFARS.org and we will be happy to put you in touch with them.
Linda S. Warhaftig
president, North Brunswick First Aid & Rescue Squad