Summit First Aid SquadPress Clipping |
Busy Day for First Aid Squad brings Med-evac to Summit Twice (5/17/95)
An early morning automobile accident Wednesday injured the drivers of both vehicles involved as well as a nearby pedestrian. At about 7:30 a.m. the First Aid Squad was dispatched to Summit Ave. and Springfield Ave. for "a motor vehicle accident". Several members responded from home to the Squads' headquarters while 2 others responded directly to the scene. While enroute to their building, at least 2 members maintained radio contact with CENCOM, the First Aid Squad's dispatch agency, and learned that there were at least 2 injuries, one of which was serious. As a result the 4 members who responded decided to bring 2 ambulances to the scene.
The Summit Fire Department had also responded after receiving a report of a woman entrapped. Due to the nature of the accident and injuries, a paramedic unit from Overlook Hospital was also dispatched.
Upon arrival at the scene, 3 patients were discovered, one of whom, a pedestrian, was found beneath a car. The Fire Department used an air bag system specifically designed for rescue to lift the vehicle while Squad members removed the woman. As is the case with most multiple trauma injuries, it was decided to transport this patient to a trauma center. Summit's third ambulance and a second paramedic unit were then requested to respond as well as a "North-Star", the Med-Evac helicopter from University Hospital in Newark.
The First Aid Squad transported one woman via ambulance to Tatlock field, the City's designated landing zone, where she was transferred to the helicopter and then flown to the Trauma Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The other 2 patients were transported by ambulance to Overlook Hospital in Summit.
Supervising the rescue operations were Lt. Joseph Houck of the Summit Fire Department and Lt. John Staunton of the Summit First Aid Squad. "The cooperation between the Police, Fire, Paramedic and First Aid Squad people was great" commented Staunton, "that's one reason why this call was handled so well".
Later that morning, a construction accident at Kent Place School brought all of these agencies together again. A man who received a serious leg injury was treated and transported via ambulance to Tatlock field, transferred to the helicopter and flown to the Trauma Center at University Hospital in Newark.
"When treating trauma victims we generally try to follow a rule called 'the Golden Hour'" said Staunton. "This means that any serious trauma patient should be transported and in a hospital in less than 1 hour from the time of injury. Today, all of our patients were transported to various hospitals well within this time".
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