Community Corner
EMS Week Celebrates Springfield's Everyday Heroes
They respond to your 9-1-1 calls and provide medical aid wherever, whenever, and for whatever you need.
You walk into the kitchen, ready to grab a cup of coffee and start the day. But when you turn around, you notice your spouse sitting in a chair, bent over and unable to stand up, complaining of sharp, continuous chest pains.
Without thinking, you dial 9-1-1. You worry about how long it will take for help to arrive and what might be happening to your loved one. Is it a heart attack?
When the ambulance pulls up just a few moments later, you see the words "Springfield First Aid Squad" and breathe a sigh of relief.
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In comes the trained crew of emergency medical technicians with equipment in tow. They gather information, load your spouse into the ambulance, and drive up to Overlook Medical Center without delay to transfer care to the emergency department. Your spouse will be okay.
What you probably gave no thought to when you dialed 9-1-1 was who exactly would respond to your aid.
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Who were those people that hopped off the ambulance and walked into your home? A computer technician, a teacher, a professional photographer, and a high school student, perhaps. All volunteers, all trained to render emergency medical care, and all of whom are members of the Springfield First Aid Squad.
This year, National Emergency Medical Services Week recognizes the everyday heroes that respond to your call when you need them the most. The Springfield First Aid Squad is composed entirely of volunteer members ranging from students to adults with full-time jobs to retirees, most of whom live in Springfield themselves.
The Squad has partnered with local restaurants this week to earn money for squad operations and expenses. Participating restaurants in town will donate ten percent of your dine-in or take-out bill to the Squad if you present an EMS Week flyer. For more information about which restaurants are participating when, and where you can download a flyer, .
The Springfield First Aid Squad is an all-volunteer organization in need of members, and will provide all training and equipment free of charge. Visit springfieldfas.org/join or dial (973) 908-8EMS for more information.
