Two New Ambulances For Whitehouse Rescue Squad

After four years of planning, quoting, bidding, putting out specs, negotiating, and crossing their fingers the Whitehouse Rescue Squad has taken delivery of two new ambulances. Readington Township purchased the two 2006 Horton/Ford E-450 ambulances for the squad. The Whitehouse Rescue Squad, which covers the majority of Readington Township, about half of Lebanon Boro and portions of Tewksbury and Clinton Townships, approached the Readington Township Committee about purchasing the new ambulances, with the down payment coming from the squad’s fund raising efforts.

About four years ago the rescue squad starting planning to replace two of their rapidly deteriorating apparatus, then recognizing the need to purchase two new ambulances. The new ambulances will replace a 1990 and a 1992 ambulance that have given the squad trouble over the last few years. Each ambulance has well over 100,000 miles and they have been in and out of the repair shop frequently. The squad has not had a long run of having every ambulance in service with all of the repairs and trips to the shop. The old equipment has had suspension problems, electrical issues, air conditioning malfunctions and even structural corrosion. Not only have the older ambulances been unreliable but the costs of keeping them on the road have taken their toll.

The new ambulances will be identical to each other, housing state of the art equipment ranging from Automated External Defibrillators to rapid intervention extrication tools for automobile accidents with entrapped patients. The squad members that will staff these ambulances are trained to handle both medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents. The hydraulic extrication equipment are Homatro portable tools, similar to the “Jaws of Life.”

The squad continues to focus on finding a solution to their deteriorating building that they have out grown. There is not enough room to house all of the equipment inside, safe from the elements.