Busy Week Keeps Squad On The Run

The Whitehouse Rescue Squad responded to thirty eight calls this past week, ending a holiday week with multiple accidents, two CPR calls and two aero-medical transportations.

The rescue squad, stationed on Main Street in Whitehouse Station, staffs basic life support crews twenty four hours a day in order to guarantee immediate response for Readington Township and the portions of Lebanon, Clinton Township, and Tewksbury Township that it is responsible for. This last week there were multiple calls at once and major calls requiring multiple ambulance response in addition to the squad’s Rescue Services Unit. The squad depends on its dedicated volunteers to staff these second and third calls and to provide rescue services such as vehicle stabilization and extrication.

On Sunday, July 2nd, the squad responded to a CPR call, multiple units responded and the crew was able to regain a pulse after about twenty minutes of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Again on July 4th the squad responded to another call for a patient in cardiac arrest. The squad, returning from a holiday parade, showed up in full force. Friday night the squad responded to a motorcycle accident where the patient had critical injuries requiring immediate helicopter transport to Morristown Hospital. The next day, the rescue squad was called to Route 22 for a motor vehicle accident with an entrapped unconscious patient. The Rescue Services Unit stabilized and extricated the patient, while the ambulance crew cared for the injuries and a helicopter was requested for transport to a trauma hospital.

During this busy week Rehab 22, the rescue squad’s specialized response trailer used to provide rehabilitation services for long term incidents or major operations, was assisting with the Delaware River flooding. Not only was the equipment committed to the emergency but squad members staffed the trailer and participated in the state wide EMS immobilization.

Jeffrey Herzog, the rescue squad’s Chief, commented on the numerous calls, several serious in nature and at times occurring at the same time, “Teamwork is vital to the success of the squad and the outcome of the patients. This weekend was an example of how hard our volunteers work”.

While the Whitehouse Rescue Squad is also making sure the emergency calls are handled, there are other stand bys and fund raising events to prepare for. At the end of this month the Quick Check Balloon Festival will take place in Readington Township. The festival always challenges that squad with numerous calls for service in addition to covering the town’s routine calls. Volunteers log countless hours to make sure festival goers as well as the town’s residents are provided with the highest quality care with immediate response times.

Information about the rescue squad can be found at www.whitehouserescue.com.