Summit’s EMS volunteers have grown accustomed to receiving multiple calls for help and have become quite good at answering them quickly. Severe weather often brings an increase in ambulance calls that often come in rapid succession. Earlier this year that included multiple calls for falls on the ice and car accidents and even a request to help cover emergencies in New York City. Automobile accidents with multiple patients or fires or other emergencies that affect several people are also common causes of multiple ambulance responses. But sometimes, the squad finds itself busy for no apparent reason. That was the case last week on an otherwise quiet and sunny Sunday morning when the squad received 4 unrelated emergency calls in the span of 45 minutes. The duty crew answered an emergency medical call at 10:23 AM. Then at 10:43 a back-up call was issued for another ambulance to respond to a car accident at Springfield and Hobart.Avenues. Just 5 minutes later there was another medical emergency at a residence followed by a 4th medical emergency on the other side of town. Several off duty members responded to the squad’s temporary home on Broad St to staff the squad’s 2nd and 3rd ambulance while the on duty crew was able to deliver a patient quickly to Overlook Medical Center and then respond to the 4th call. As a result all 4 of the 9-1-1 calls were promptly answered and by 11:40 all ambulance crews had treated and transported their patients..
After EMS calls are complete, the Summit Fire Department dispatcher typically sends the calls times to the squad so they can complete their reports. The time report that afternoon included a note from the dispatcher: “busy bees!”
The squad has 3 of its ambulances simultaneously in use about once a month.
The all-volunteer Summit First Aid Squad is always looking for new members to join its ranks. All needed training, uniforms and equipment is provided. For information, please call 908-277-9479, or Click Here for more information.