By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
SOUTH RIVER–Created out of tragedy and established through hard work and persistence, the South River Rescue Squad (SRRS) has been helping sick and injured residents for decades.
Recently, the SRRS celebrated its 80th anniversary, commemorating its time-honored service and history. The rescue squad was established in 1936 and its members are all volunteers.
The rescue squad, and the older South Amboy squad, were the first to operate in Middlesex County and are among the oldest in the State of New Jersey, according to the South River Rescue Squad’s website.
The idea of a qualified and dedicated rescue squad was conceived by George Bardol, after a tragic accident in which two children were asphyxiated. Mr. Bardol’s plan was presented to, and endorsed by [local town officials], according to the website.
When the SRRS was officially established, the squad did not just cover South River, but also Sayreville, East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Spotswood, Jamesburg, Englishtown, Milltown and North Brunswick, according to the squad’s website.
In an effort to maintain a standard of care for the community, the squad reached out to the Borough of South River for assistance, and in 2000, was made a borough department. While keeping its all-volunteer status, this merger allowed the SRRS to continue to maintain and acquire the equipment and supplies needed to continue operations, according to the squad’s website.
The rescue squad today is still all volunteer, who dedicate hours of their time toward learning the latest medical procedures and techniques. Members must complete, at a minimum, 160 hours of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, four hours of Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training, and many hours of additional required training and re-certification each year, according to the website.
“I have been an active member of SRRS for almost 13 years. I served on active duty for over eight years in the U.S. Navy and had some basic first aid training, and I’ve always had an interest in community service,” said Bill Synek, an active Life Member of the SRRS and 2017 assistant captain-elect.
“In 2004, the SRRS went door-to-door in our town seeking new members. Since it was just three years after the events of [Sept. 11, 2001], I decided to help out any way I could,” he said.
A significant turning point for the rescue squad was when the squad had to come up with a effective way to address members’ hours. Between training, answering calls and personal obligations, many members were not available and membership levels decreased.
As a result, in 2009, members took action to fix the manpower emergency and formed a new agency, South River EMS. This resulted in a hybrid organization consisting of the volunteer EMTs of the SRRS at its core being supplemented by the per-diem EMTs of South River EMS, and allowed for 24-hour emergency medical coverage, according to the squad’s website.
“The volunteers formed SREMS in 2009 to run in parallel with, and supplement, the volunteer SRRS during times when volunteer members are typically not available,” Synek said.
“For the volunteer SRRS, I have served as captain, assistant captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant during my time on the squad. I am also currently the president of the South River EMS Board of Directors,” Synek said.
Today, the SRRS handles, on average, 1,500 calls each year, including both 9-1-1 emergency calls and standbys to provide medical care at community and civic events for the Borough of South River and its surrounding communities.