LAMBERTVILLE: Rescue squad needs more helpers

Calls keep going up; nighttime help especially wanted

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   The Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad (LNHSRS) has been very busy — and getting busier all the time.
   ”We answered 1,500 calls last year. We expect to answer 1,800 this year,” said squad president Jason Strauss. “We need new members.”
   The LNHARS is based at 70 Alexander Road in Lambertville. The squad responds to emergency medical and rescue calls from a large area.
   ”We answer calls from Lambertville, New Hope, West Amwell, Stockton, Delaware Township, East Amwell and elsewhere,” said Mr. Strauss, a squad member for seven years. The squad also does water rescue operations on the Delaware River and other bodies of water.
   ”We have a paid staff on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day,” Mr. Strauss said. “We’re looking for new members to help us cover the hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.”
   Mr. Strauss noted that, as with any emergency service unit, some LNHARS members become less active as they approach senior citizen status.
   ”We do have a good group of young members, but need some new people to replace members we’ve lost,” he said. “People don’t seem to volunteer for this kind of thing as much as they used to, so our numbers have diminished somewhat, even with the young people we’ve brought on board with our youth squad.”
   To ride with an ambulance squad, one must be a certified emergency medical technician (EMT).
   ”We provide all the training needed to become an EMT,” Mr. Strauss said. “The EMT course is given at Bucks County Community College. Our squad pays for the training and provides transportation to the classes at the community college. Classes are two nights a week, and some weekends, for about three months.”
   In recent years, the LNHARS has, like other emergency service units, attempted to beef up its ranks by recruiting young people.
   ”Our youth squad members are aged 13 to 17,” Mr. Strauss said. “When they reach age 17, they can ride the ambulance up to four hours a shift. They have more flexibility when they become senior members, which they can do at age 18.”
   The good reasons for volunteering with an emergency service rescue squad are many, Mr. Strauss said.
   ”You help your community and, really, become an integral part of your community in a special way. You’ll meet a lot of new people and build friendships. That’s how it’s been for me. I met my wife here at the squad.”
   To inquire about volunteering, go to www.lnhars.com and click on “contact us,” or call 609-397-0945.