Emergency Services Get a Winter Wake Up Call (1/26/2000)

Winter, and the increase in emergency calls that come with it, may have been a bit late in arriving this year, but Thursday's weather helped to make up for lost time. The Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad answered 12 calls during Thursday's day shift (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM), 8 of which were directly related to the snow. On 3 occasions during the day, 2 ambulances were simultaneously handling separate calls.

The rush began at 9:45 AM with an automobile accident at Summit Ave. & Badeau Ave. At 11:10 the squad responded to another accident on Kent Place Blvd. in front of the High School. Just 25 minutes later, a second ambulance was required for another accident at Kent Place & Madison Ave. A 3^rd accident on Kent Place Blvd. involved left a vehicle that left the road, rolling onto it's side on a front lawn. Luckily, all 3 escaped uninjured. All were wearing seat belts.

The squad handled 3 non-weather related medical calls between noon and 3:00 PM, including a possible stroke at the Summit Medical Group. They then returned to the winter response mode, treating both drivers involved in a head-on collision on Passaic Ave. near St. Teresa's Cemetery. Despite significant front-end damage to both cars, the drivers were spared from life threatening injuries thanks to air bags and seat belts. One driver sustained a hand injury believed to be caused by the air bag; a common injury in front end collisions. Minutes later, a second ambulance crew was again summoned to respond to Charter Behavioral Health Systems on Prospect St. for a cardiac problem.

At 5:22 PM Squad volunteers raced through the snow to Memorial field and treated a 12-year old boy with a possible fractured ankle: the result of a sledding accident. Minutes later, another call was received for an unconscious child on Evergreen Place. Summit's 2^nd ambulance had just returned from their previous call and responded immediately. The child was conscious & alert upon their arrival.

There is generally an increase in auto accidents during winter weather. Fortunately, good drivers tend to travel at slower speeds, which results in far less tragic injuries. What the First Squad does often see at this time of year is a large increase in fall injures as well as cardiac complications.