By Stephanie Loder
nj.com
ISELIN, N.J. — The Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad is closing effective Thursday and emergency calls will be picked up by first responders at the township’s other squads, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the township mayor.
No reason was given about why the Woodbridge Township squad was ceasing service, however Patch.com reported it was a result of “changing in community financial support,” according to an email sent to members of the squad.
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NJ Advance has reached out to Mayor John E. McCormac.
The Woodbridge Township Police Department Emergency Medical First Aid Squad, along with the township’s other emergency medical services providers – Avenel / Colonia, Colonia and Port Reading first aid squads – will take over, McCormac said
He said they “have sufficient staff and equipment in place and that there will be no interruption in the delivery of efficient and professional emergency medical services 24/7.”
“Public safety is our number one priority as elected officials and that includes first aid along with police and fire services. The people of Woodbridge Township served by WTARS will not miss a beat in having qualified, trained and experienced professionals on duty around-the-clock to make sure they are safe,” he said.
The mayor recognized the squad’s President Edward Barrett “whose guidance and experience has been the measure of success and an outline for emergency medical service for more than 60 years.”
He also credited Director Joseph Nisky, Woodbridge Township Police Department & Office of Emergency Management and Dennis Petrick, EMS manager, who “maintained close contact with the leadership of WTARS over the past months in an effort to assist WTARS develop a well-thought-out closure plan and to ensure that Township EMS services continue without interruption to meet the emergency medical service needs of each and every Woodbridge Township community.”
The history of Woodbridge emergency medical services dates back to 1937, according to the township website.
Until the late 1980s, squads were staffed by volunteers 24 hours a day. By 1995 there was a critical shortage of daytime volunteers and the Woodbridge Emergency Squad placed paid EMT’s for daytime coverage.
In 2010, McCormac directed emergency calls to Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad after suspending the Avenel-Colonia First Aid Squad amid allegations that members took an ambulance on a “joy ride” to Edison, then broke into an old roller skating rink, all while on duty.
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