For the 15th consecutive year the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad provided Emergency Medical Services to the annual bike ride to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. Since 1998 the Summit EMS bike team has participated in the Bike MS event, providing care and assistance to riders on a 50-mile route along the Jersey Shore.
The MS Society event is held the third Saturday of May every year.
The Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad was the first agency to cover the ride with a bike team. This year the Summit EMS bikers included Mike D’Ecclessis, Kari Phair, and Jonathan Salazar.
“It is important that the event be covered on bike,” said Mike D’Ecclessis, who has assisted the event every year since 1998. “From along the route we are able to respond quickly and efficiently.”
This year the team responded to a fallen cyclist within the first two miles of the start. By the time the ambulance arrived, the team had treated and stabilized the patient for transport to the hospital. The team also treated patients with minor injuries and leg cramps.
The Squad bike team additionally covers numerous events in Summit, including street fairs, benefit runs, and the Fourth of July celebration.