Post by Fed Up on Oct 11, 2006 12:12:03 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2006/1011/Front_Page/001.html
Aid squad will no longer provide weekday service
Lack of volunteers means MONOC will respond, charge
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
News Transcript
October 11, 2006
The Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad is in trouble, so much so that residents in Freehold Borough and Freehold Town-ship will soon begin paying for services that have been provided free for 66 years.
A lack of volunteers who are available to respond to emergency calls on weekdays has led the first aid squad's officers to announce that the squad, which serves both municipalities, will no longer respond to emergencies between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Instead, the MONOC professional service will respond, and those who need assistance will be charged for that response and for treatment received.
First aid squad officials said there is an average of only three people presently available to volunteer their services during the day.
Bill Madden, a trustee of the squad who has been a member of the organization since 1957, told the Borough Council on Sept. 30 that officials were forced to make the decision to drop weekday service because not enough people have come forward to volunteer.
He said the first aid squad will continue to respond to emergency calls between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily and all day on weekends and holidays. This service will continue to be free.
"There is no other way to do this," Madden said, adding that the situation will be re-evaluated in January. "It is doubtful that the situation will change by then, however, unless we get 20 new volunteers."
The squad currently has about 30 active members. The organization has served the borough and the township since it was formed at the old A&M Karagheusian rug mill on Jackson Street in 1941.
Squad President Dave Cranmer said the problem is an increase in calls coupled with a lack of readily available manpower. But be that as it may, the bottom line, according to Cranmer, is that the patient is the most important thing.
"People need to get taken care of and if they need an ambulance they must have one," he said.
Cranmer, who has been a member of the squad for 39 years, said that if the volunteer situation does not improve quickly, municipal officials may opt to consider paying their own emergency personnel to be available during the day.
He said other towns have gone this route. In some towns with paid emergency services personnel patients are charged a fee for services rendered and in some towns they are not, he said.
Cranmer said the Freehold squad's goal even if it must have a paid staff would be to not charge patients for services rendered.
He said Freehold Borough and Freehold Township officials have not made any commitment regarding a paid first aid squad, but understand the situation the squad is in and support the squad in its efforts to remain a totally volunteer organization.
"Five years ago there was not one squad that was paid," Cranmer said.
When asked what he thought is contributing to declining volunteerism, Cranmer said he thought people were just were "paying attention."
"I don't think people are aware of the fact that we are a volunteer squad and I don't think they understand how desperately we need help," he said.
Cranmer said squad members are not giving up the fight to keep the squad just as it is - a volunteer squad. He said he has met with Thomas Antus, Freehold Township's administrator, in an effort to have large signs posted throughout the municipality asking for volunteers to come forward.
First aid squad officials came before the Borough Council earlier this year.
In February, Madden informed borough officials that during a recent fundraising effort the squad only received a 20 percent return on 14,000 letters that were mailed to homes in Freehold Borough and Freehold Township. Madden predicted tough times ahead for the squad which handles nine or 10 calls a day and responded to 3,402 calls for service in 2005 (approximately 35 percent in Freehold Borough and 65 percent in Freehold Township).
Meanwhile, squad members are trying to recruit more members by visiting high schools and attending community events.
The squad offers members a deferred compensation program which allows volunteers to earn points according to a predetermined schedule and have funds placed in a pension-type account.
For more information about the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad, call (732) 308-1515.
Aid squad will no longer provide weekday service
Lack of volunteers means MONOC will respond, charge
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
News Transcript
October 11, 2006
The Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad is in trouble, so much so that residents in Freehold Borough and Freehold Town-ship will soon begin paying for services that have been provided free for 66 years.
A lack of volunteers who are available to respond to emergency calls on weekdays has led the first aid squad's officers to announce that the squad, which serves both municipalities, will no longer respond to emergencies between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Instead, the MONOC professional service will respond, and those who need assistance will be charged for that response and for treatment received.
First aid squad officials said there is an average of only three people presently available to volunteer their services during the day.
Bill Madden, a trustee of the squad who has been a member of the organization since 1957, told the Borough Council on Sept. 30 that officials were forced to make the decision to drop weekday service because not enough people have come forward to volunteer.
He said the first aid squad will continue to respond to emergency calls between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily and all day on weekends and holidays. This service will continue to be free.
"There is no other way to do this," Madden said, adding that the situation will be re-evaluated in January. "It is doubtful that the situation will change by then, however, unless we get 20 new volunteers."
The squad currently has about 30 active members. The organization has served the borough and the township since it was formed at the old A&M Karagheusian rug mill on Jackson Street in 1941.
Squad President Dave Cranmer said the problem is an increase in calls coupled with a lack of readily available manpower. But be that as it may, the bottom line, according to Cranmer, is that the patient is the most important thing.
"People need to get taken care of and if they need an ambulance they must have one," he said.
Cranmer, who has been a member of the squad for 39 years, said that if the volunteer situation does not improve quickly, municipal officials may opt to consider paying their own emergency personnel to be available during the day.
He said other towns have gone this route. In some towns with paid emergency services personnel patients are charged a fee for services rendered and in some towns they are not, he said.
Cranmer said the Freehold squad's goal even if it must have a paid staff would be to not charge patients for services rendered.
He said Freehold Borough and Freehold Township officials have not made any commitment regarding a paid first aid squad, but understand the situation the squad is in and support the squad in its efforts to remain a totally volunteer organization.
"Five years ago there was not one squad that was paid," Cranmer said.
When asked what he thought is contributing to declining volunteerism, Cranmer said he thought people were just were "paying attention."
"I don't think people are aware of the fact that we are a volunteer squad and I don't think they understand how desperately we need help," he said.
Cranmer said squad members are not giving up the fight to keep the squad just as it is - a volunteer squad. He said he has met with Thomas Antus, Freehold Township's administrator, in an effort to have large signs posted throughout the municipality asking for volunteers to come forward.
First aid squad officials came before the Borough Council earlier this year.
In February, Madden informed borough officials that during a recent fundraising effort the squad only received a 20 percent return on 14,000 letters that were mailed to homes in Freehold Borough and Freehold Township. Madden predicted tough times ahead for the squad which handles nine or 10 calls a day and responded to 3,402 calls for service in 2005 (approximately 35 percent in Freehold Borough and 65 percent in Freehold Township).
Meanwhile, squad members are trying to recruit more members by visiting high schools and attending community events.
The squad offers members a deferred compensation program which allows volunteers to earn points according to a predetermined schedule and have funds placed in a pension-type account.
For more information about the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad, call (732) 308-1515.