First aid squad calls on community for donations

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Millstone Township First Aid Squad Captain Tina Mitchell and her son, Greg, prepare mailings for the squad's annual fundraiser at the squad house on Perrineville Road on March 8. MILLSTONE - It's time for residents to answer its call.

The Millstone Township First Aid Squad is currently conducting its annual fundraiser, according to the squad's captain, Tina Mitchell.

Although the squad isn't collecting funds for a specific purchase this year, Mitchell said, "Things get more expensive as the township gets bigger."

Mitchell said monetary contributions go toward supplies, maintenance of equipment, and gas and utility costs.

"We're lucky," Mitchell said. "The community is usually very responsive to us."

Chris Chandonnet, who has volunteered with the squad since August, said, "The fundraiser is not only about money, but also [about] our need for volunteers.

"As the township of Millstone grows," Chandonnet added, "so does the need to ramp up the strength of our team."

According to Mitchell, the first aid squad services Millstone's 37 square miles and provides mutual aid to surrounding municipalities such as Allentown, Roosevelt, Freehold, Englishtown and Manalapan.

The squad currently consists of 28 members but is in need of more volunteers, according to Mitchell.

Mitchell, who joined the squad about 13 years ago, has presided as its captain for the past two years. She said that over time, she has come to recognize volunteerism as "a fading business."

"Every volunteer organization knows this," Mitchell said. "People are too busy with their own lives to have time to volunteer.

"When people don't volunteer," she said, "it's not the squad that suffers - it's the community that suffers."

In the event that the first aid squad cannot get a crew together when called upon, Mitchell said a delay in response time to the emergency situation occurs because the township has to rely on mutual aid from a surrounding municipality.

"There's a sense of pride within our squad in getting the rig out so we don't have to rely on mutual aid," Mitchell said.

Chandonnet said that even in the most recent snowstorm, the squad was able to get an ambulance out to a car accident on Route 537, in which a driver had crashed into a utility pole.

"The squad is comprised of some terrific, dedicated people who truly love their community and enjoy the process of keeping it safe, well and strong," Chandonnet said.

Mitchell said the squad has volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.

"It doesn't matter if you are a veteran, a housewife, a stay-at-home mom or a person who works in New York City full time," Mitchell said. "We can accommodate anyone's schedule."

7The squad now has volunteers ranging in age from 16 to 70, according to Mitchell.

Donna O'Leary, who has been a squad member for the past four years, said she enjoys working with the squad for the compensation she receives.

"Not pay in the monetary sense, but pay in the sense of self-gratification for helping others in need," O'Leary said.

Mitchell's son, Greg, 17, volunteers with the squad as a cadet. He said he joined the squad because he has seen through his mother how first aid benefits community families. He said he also enjoys the excitement he feels when he gets a call.

"It's definitely a rush when your pager goes off," he said. "The adrenaline rush you get from helping people is great."

The oldest member of the squad, Dee Ziobro, 69, joined in 1966. Not only is she a volunteer in Millstone Township, but she's also vice president of the New Jersey First Aid Council.

Ziobro said she joined the squad because she felt somewhat indebted to some of its former members.

"My mother was sick, and they took her a lot," Ziobro said. "When the squad needed help, I joined because it was very helpful to my family."

Ziobro said the family-like atmosphere and the socialization that goes on at the squad have held her interest in volunteering for more than 40 years.

Marilyn Trust, who has volunteered with the squad for almost 27 years, said she appreciates the friendships she has developed through the squad.

Trust said she decided to take EMT training as a natural extension to learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid in order to take care of her four children. She said that at one point her husband and three of her children volunteered with the squad.

To become a member of the squad, a volunteer must be 18 years of age and have both a clean driving record and a clean criminal record.

Those between the ages of 16 and 18 who would like to volunteer can join the squad as cadets.

O'Leary said people can volunteer with the squad for up to a year before having to decide whether or not they would like to enroll in emergency medical technician (EMT) training school.

"I am a relatively new member myself, joining last Aug. 1," Chandonnet said. "I so enjoyed my initial experience [that] I entered EMT training classes last September and was certified as an EMT this past January."

When asked if she found training difficult, Trust said, "The training is not difficult as long as you put time and effort into it."

Trust said the squad pays for training as well as the necessary equipment.

EMT training consists of 120 hours of class time, 10 hours of hospital time and CPR certification, according to Mitchell.

"It takes three to five months, or it can be done in a few intensive sessions," O'Leary said. "Either way, you have the support of the whole squad."

Chandonnet said that riding with the squad on emergency calls helped him through training.

Whether it's a donation of time or money, Trust said, "Every little bit someone can give helps."

For more information, call the squad house at (732) 446-3080.