72 Emergency Calls In 12 Days: Summit EMS Volunteers Report Busy April

SUMMIT, NJ — April is not even half over and Summit’s EMS volunteers have been swamped. In just 12 days into the month, Summit’s EMS volunteers have answered 72 emergency calls for help.

Of those calls 11 came on Tuesday, April 11. The day began with the Monday night crew responding with an ambulance and first responder unit to a 4 a.m. structure fire on Broad Street.

The Tuesday day crew took over at 7 a.m. and quickly went to work, answering 10 calls during their shift including two medical emergencies in private homes, a medical emergency at a dentist office, a burn injury resulting from a gas station fire, a medical emergency at a large office building, a fall victim on Summit Avenue, two multi-car automobile accidents on Route 24, and a mutual aid response for possible heart attack in Berkeley Heights.

The two unrelated car accidents on Route 24 occurred at nearly the same location about 40 minutes apart. Just after 3 p.m., squad volunteers had staffed three ambulances responding to simultaneous calls on Orchard Street, Morris Avenue and River Road. Off duty members were summoned to staff additional ambulances to help cover those calls and did so quickly.

On a April 12, it appears the torch had been passed to the neighboring Springfield First Aid Squad as Summit volunteers were called on three separate occasions to assist with emergencies in that town. Two of those incidents were motor vehicle accidents with multiple patients and the third was a medical emergency that occurred while the Springfield Squad was handling other calls.

The all-volunteer First Aid Squad is always looking for new members to join its ranks. All needed training, uniforms and equipment is provided. For information, call 908-277- 9479, or visit www.summitems.org.

(Image via Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad)

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