By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
For the roughly 75 men and women who work on the Hillsborough Township Rescue Squad, their work providing emergency medical services (EMS) is a 24 hour job, complete with sudden calls, intense situations and potentially life-saving action., For the fourth straight year, the local EMS squad that handles everything from education and community health activities to disaster response and mass casualties has seen an uptick in the number of service calls it receives., “As the town grows, there will be more calls for service, but there is no single factor or type of call that is making us busier,” EMS Chief David Gwin said., Last year, according to call volume data collected by the EMS squad, there were 3,501 calls for service in 2016. That number shows a slight increase from the 3,357 calls in 2015, but a marked spike in calls since the 3,002 calls in 2011., Though calls for service are a constant possibility throughout the year, Chief Gwin said certain months were more busy than others. For example, last March had the most incoming calls for service of the year with 348., To accommodate that number of calls, Chief Gwin said the squad always has at least a pair of two-person crews ready to respond at a moment’s notice, though a third crew is usually on hand at the station during the week as a precautionary measure., In the event that additional crews are needed, such as last February’s warehouse fire that required upwards of 150 first responders, additional crews can be scheduled as necessary., Though the EMS squad handles emergency situations, Chief Gwin said they also help out around the community with educational programs and “standbys” at public outings., Last Fall, Chief Gwin said the squad performed over 40 standbys, with more than half of those taking place in October alone. Standbys are largely conducted for outdoor and sporting events, including football games for the Junior Raiders, the Dukes and the various teams that play at Hillsborough High School. On Oct. 21 alone, seven crews were utilized to cover the active shooter drill that took place at the municipal building., In order to keep up with the township’s growing need, Chief Gwin said the squad recently took on another crew for more coverage. Of its 75 members, the EMS squad employs 20 full-time and part-time crew during the day, 30 per-diem members and 25 volunteers., The squad also has a fleet of vehicles to help adapt to any situation. For general use, there are six ambulances and multiple variants of light rescue trucks. A multiple casualty trailer is also on hand., Given some of the more rural areas within the township, Chief Gwin said the squad also uses three special three special operations vehicles, including a rehab vehicle, a water rescue vehicle and a four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. They also have a John Deere “Gator,” capable of patient transport during large outdoor gatherings or calls at the Sourland Mountain Preserve., For instances where flood waters prove a hinderance for the squad, they also have five boats to use., All of those apparatus come in handy throughout the year in a community where approximately 45 percent of the EMS squad’s patients are 65 years or older., “At the end of the day,” Chief Gwin said, “we’re just trying to grow with the town.”
