To the editor:
If you have an emergency and need an ambulance, you call 911. The dispatcher will send one of the three volunteer first aid squads that serve the community, a police officer and, depending upon the seriousness of the call, advanced life support paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
More than 50 volunteer members of the Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park and Kingston first aid squads provide basic life support ambulance service to the residents of South Brunswick and southern Franklin 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most are state certified emergency medical technicians and all are trained in CPR and basic first aid. Their primary occupations are office workers, homemakers, truck drivers, nurses, lawyers, clergy, municipal workers, college students and retirees. All are members of the community they serve, and all are dedicated to providing the best emergency medical service possible.
The tremendous growth of our community, both residential and commercial, the increased traffic volume we all see every day, and the economic needs for dual income families have put a burden on the volunteer EMS service. This is especially evident during the daytime hours when only a small handful of the volunteers are available to handle EMS responses.
In order to respond to the increase in daytime call volume and reduced member resources, the squads have formed South Brunswick EMS Inc. They will staff BLS ambulances with paid EMTs, supplementing the volunteers in our community, during daytime hours. Most of our neighboring towns have already had to implement similar entities or contracted with independent companies to satisfy their increased daytime EMS coverage needs.
The volunteer squads will continue to be funded by contributions from businesses, individuals and the townships they service. However, a daytime ambulance with paid EMTs will cost in excess of $500 per day to operate. To offset this increase in cost, South Brunswick EMS Inc. will send a bill to the patient’s medical insurance. No one, regardless of his or her ability to pay, will be denied service. This is currently how the ALS paramedic service from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital operates.
Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park and Kingston first aid squads will continue to respond as always when 911 is called and an ambulance is needed. South Brunswick EMS now will add supplemental EMTs to ensure this won’t change during daytime hours.
If you are interested in joining any first aid squad or seek additional information contact Monmouth Junction at (732) 355-9907, Kendall Park at (732) 297-0621 or Kingston at (609) 924-9494.
Tom Durkin, president
South Brunswick EMS Inc.
Anne Fleming, captain
Michael Bergman, president
Monmouth Junction
First Aid Squad
James Cooper, captain
Frank Low-Beer, vice president
Kendall Park First Aid
and Rescue Squad
John Luck, captain
James Machinga, president
Kingston First Aid Squad
