The Carteret First Aid Squad is currently entering its 77th year as
one of the oldest first aid and rescue squads in New Jersey. The squad was
organized in 1934 with its first station located on the corner of Pershing
Avenue and Romanowski Street. In the beginning, pre-hospital care consisted of
basic first aid; help the sick and the injured and get them to someone with
higher medical knowledge. Prior to that time, pre-hospital or EMS care was
provided by nearly anyone who would take on the task regardless of their
training or experience. Often, funeral homes provided patient transport with
little or no medical care being administered. One report indicates that on a
national level, more than 50% of ambulance services were being performed by
12,000 morticians. The first ambulance that was used by the Carteret First Aid
Squad was an old hearse that was donated by a local undertaker.
As times changed and Carteret's population increased, so did the
emergencies. More men and women became members of the first aid squad. The
Carteret First Aid Squad registered under the New Jersey State First Aid
Council, under the 14th District, which allowed squads from all over the state
to become more familiar with the latest equipment and standardize what is
required to outfit an ambulance for emergencies. As the Borough of Carteret
continued to expand, the squad was faced with new challenges. In 1963, the squad
erected a new building at its currently location at 315 Pershing Avenue. The new
station offered amenities such as offices, kitchen, adequate storage space for
medical supplies, and bays for three ambulances and rescue truck.
It wasn't until 1965 when the direction of EMS began to grow. As
many towns and cities were just beginning to form their EMS organizations,
Carteret already had over 30 years experience in the field. The boom of EMS
organizations was a result of of a publication of the National Academy of
Science (NAS) titled "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Diseases of
Modern Society" was released and began to receive attention. The paper reported
that in 1965, 52 million accidental injuries killed 107,000 Americans,
temporarily disabled more than 10 million and permanently impaired 400,000 more
people at the cost of approximately $18 Billion. "Accidental injury is the
neglected epidemic of modern society and the nation's most important
environmental health problem," the paper concluded.
In the day when first aid was practiced through open competitions
all over the state, Carteret was recognized as the premier squad, the one you
had to beat. Over time, the squad building collected hundreds of 1st and 2nd
place trophies that were won by those young men and women of the Carteret First
Aid Squad.
With the state of the economy in the late 1990's, which required
more and more working families, the nation began seeing a steady drop in
volunteers. Many squads were unable to adequately staff their ambulances during
the daytime hours. Carteret was no exception to this problem. The Carteret First
Aid Squad temporarily contracted Rural Metro to handle emergencies during the
day. In 2002, the Borough of Carteret began a municipal EMS service run by the
Carteret Fire Department. The department received two new ambulances purchased
with the help of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Fund and staffed career EMT's
to more efficiently handle emergency calls and rescue services from 6am to 6pm
daily, while the Carteret First Aid Squad handles emergency calls from 6pm to
6am daily.
Today advances in emergency medical service techniques and
technology are taught by state certified instructors. There was no such thing as
CPR and a defibrillator when the squad was first formed. It wasn’t until the
1990s that many squads carried a defibrillator. Today, every ambulance carries
an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator.) Through the years, the Carteret First
Aid Squad always maintained the latest technology for the health and safety of
the squad's members and patients. Up until the late 1990's the Carteret First
Aid Squad purchased a brand new ambulance every year. Traditionally, the squad
had the new ambulance painted a different color to show the public they had a
new ambulance. Cadillac Meteor station wagons were used up until the late 1970's
before the squad switched to Ford van ambulances from the 1980's to early
1990's. In 1994, the Carteret First Aid Squad purchased the first new prototype
state of the art ambulance which combined a modular design ambulance with the
van design, called the Moduvan, manufactured by PL Custom. The Moduvan concept
allowed for the space and stability of a Modular ambulance with the
maneuverability and speed of a van. In 1996, the squad purchased another Moduvan
from PL Custom. In 2001, the squad purchased their first Modular ambulance from
Wheeled Coach to accommodate the demand of storage space for new equipment. In
2007, a new state of the art ambulance was purchased from MedTec. This ambulance
came equipped with interior and exterior cameras, one-touch locking doors to
secure all doors and compartments, advanced computer interface system, and
advanced HVAC filtration systems. In the same year, the squad purchased two new
electric powered stretchers. These stretchers eliminate the need for heavy
lifting, which reduces injuries to crew members and patients. In addition, these
stretchers have a much higher weight capacity, which allowed for greater
flexibility in emergencies.
In late 2009, the Carteret First Aid Squad began processing patient
care reports electronically. This practice eliminates the need to store paper
documents on site. Instead, all patient records are stored securely off-site,
with a series of backup systems. Patient data is transmitted instantaneously to
their hospital and immediately accessed by nurses and doctors treating those
patients. The Carteret First Aid Squad also has the ability to access existing
patient information on scene, allowing the squad to get the patient to the
hospital sooner.
In late 2010, the Carteret First Aid Squad left the New Jersey
State First Aid Council and became licensed with the New Jersey Department of
Health and Senior Services Office of Emergency Medical Services. This allowed
the squad to operate as a Licensed Healthcare Provider and provide a greater
level of care than ever before.
