The Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, with assistance from the Summit Area Red Cross Youth Services and the Morris Union Jointure Specialized School, will be distributing the Vial of Life to each and every household in Summit beginning on Sunday, October 27th. The Vial of Life provides an easy and effective method of communicating with Emergency Medical Services personnel during an emergency. This year's program is dedicated to the memory of Ian Thompson, long time Summit resident and Squad member, who lost his life in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The vial is a small plastic container that holds a sheet with easy to read medical information, such as name, medical history, any known allergies, present medications, blood type, and an emergency contact person. In addition, the form has a place for alerting medical personnel about DNR orders or living wills and where those documents are located. The kit includes a magnet to be placed on the refrigerator where the vial is kept. When emergency responders see the magnet, they will know that the vial is on the door inside the refrigerator.

Door-to-door distribution will begin on Sunday October 27th and continue for several days after that until all Summit residences have been provided with the vial. The vials and information sheets can also be obtained at the Squad building on Summit Avenue, across from the Summit Middle School. A copy of the information form is also available at the Squad web site.

The First Aid Squad is always looking for new volunteers and provides all needed training and equipment. For information, please call 908-277-9479, or visit them on the Internet at www.summitems.org.