In her four years as a volunteer EMT with the Twin “W” First Aid Squad, Eileen Hwang can recall one situation that reminds her why she chose to join the squad in the first place.
Hwang, crew chief and next year’s vice president, responded to a call one night at the residence of an elderly couple in the township. The woman had fallen over onto the bed as she was preparing to go to sleep for the night. When she arrived at the house, the woman could only speak a few words. Gradually, however, she began to lose consciousness to the point where she couldn’t keep her head up and eyes open.
“I’m really glad that we were there and able to respond within minutes,” she said. “Time is really critical. We need to be there right away, so they could be treated as soon as possible.”
The squad, which has one crew chief, one provider, and up to two trainees on board each night, provides emergency medical services from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. One of the reasons Hwang joined is because her family lives in the township, and she knows that if they have a medical emergency and dial 9-1-1, someone will be there to respond.
Now Hwang says the squad is looking for as many volunteers, preferably from West Windsor, as possible. Anyone over the age of 16 can become an EMT. The squad sends the new volunteers to an EMT course paid for by the state Fund for Volunteers.
According to Mike Leahy, the first aid squad’s president, a volunteer is asked to cover one shift per week, “but we also know what everyone’s schedule is,” and it’s very flexible.
Being a volunteer is a great opportunity for high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine because they can see what happens prior to the hospital, he said. College students can gain experience on emergency response calls and patient care, he added.
“We have a diversified group, from corporate America to blue collar, students, and families,” said Leahy, who is also the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company chief.
Volunteers are needed for all of the positions in the company, from business administration to EMT responders.
And it pays off in other ways, too, Hwang said. “You get to know people a lot better, and you help them out when they call on you,” Hwang said. “It’s a good service for people living in the town because they don’t have to pay when we have to take someone to the hospital. They don’t get billed for the ambulance ride.”
A separate organization from the township, the Twin “W” First Aid Squad operates through donations. The volunteers cover the night shift Monday through Friday.
Leahy said the goal is to have enough volunteers so that one crew can be formed for each night of the week. This way, the volunteers at the squad won’t have to dedicate two nights per week away from their families.
“It is very difficult to volunteer today with everybody’s busy lives, but people do, and we’re asking our community to please step up and help us,” Leahy said. “It doesn’t have to be every week. It could be once a month. It could be somebody doing an office position to free up an EMT. We pay for the training, we provide the uniforms, and we also have a length of service award program.” The township dedicates about $1,”200 a year to a retirement account as part of that program, he said.##M:[more]##
For example, one EMT, a mother, can’t come at 7 p.m. because she has to take care of her family, but she comes at 11 p.m. for her shift, Leahy said.
Those interested in volunteering can log on to www.twinw.org to download an application. Applications can be brought to the squad’s headquarters at 21 Everett Drive, or mailed to P.O. Box 385, Princeton Junction, 08550. Leahy can be e-mailed at president@twinw.org.
