Other Agencies

The Springfield First Aid Squad is an independant organization, run separately from the township government, though we cannot carry out our mission alone. These are some of the organizations with whom we routinely work.

Springfield Police Dept.

The Springfield Police Dept. serves as the public safety answering point (PSAP) to which 9-1-1 calls made in town are routed. They in turn transfer EMS calls to CenCom for medical dispatch. The police department also responds to many of the Squad's calls, providing oxygen and other basic first aid in the few minutes before we arrive and assisting us, as needed, in moving the patient to our ambulance after we have assessed the situation and begun treatment.

Springfield Fire Dept.

During the day, Monday through Wednesday, the Fire Dept. sends a First Responder-trained engine company to calls of a life-threatening nature to provide preliminary assistance during the couple of minutes it takes the Squad to respond through the busier daytime traffic. Because the First Aid Squad has personnel "in house" on Thursdays and Fridays, and because traffic is lighter weeknights and weekends, the First Responder program is not in effect during those times. The Fire Dept. also responds to all calls on Route 24/78 to provide protection for all of the emergency personnel on scene - a large fire engine provides much more protection than an ordinary police car when traffic is driving by at 65 MPH - and to other situations where their specialized skills are required.

CenCom

CenCom, based at Overlook Hospital in Summit, is one of the regional dispatch centers through which all requests for paramedics are routed. In addition to dispatching advanced life support units in five New Jersey counties, CenCom also dispatches fire departments and basic life support ambulances, both volunteer and paid, in a number of municipalities. For Springfield, 9-1-1 callers needing an ambulance are transferred to CenCom by the Springfield Police Dept. CenCom can then provide instructions to the caller on what to do while they also dispatch the Squad and, if appropriate, a paramedic unit.

Overlook Hospital's "Medic I" and "Medic II"

By New Jersey law, out-of-hospital advanced life support can only be provided by a hospital-based organization. (Similarly, by law, the ALS services cannot transport patients with some minor exceptions. These laws are designed to provide patients with care in a highly controlled manner while preserving their choice of the hospital to which they are taken.) In our area, the closest paramedic units are the mobile intensive care units (MICUs) run by Overlook Hospital. Medic I, based on Route 22 in Mountainside, covers the southern portion of town while Medic II, based at the hospital in Summit, covers the northern portion of town. Overlook Hospital's paramedic program has the distinction of being the longest running in the state.

Millburn-Short Hills First Aid Squad
Mountainside Rescue Squad
Summit First Aid Squad

Try as we might, it is not always possible for us to handle all of the calls for aid. Sometimes it is because three or four people call 9-1-1 for separate reasons all at the same time, sometimes it is because there are many people injured in a single motor vehicle accident. In these situations, we call upon the other area first aid and rescue squads to come into our town to assist us in the timely care and transport of our patients. Depending on the scale of the incident, we either call on local squads to come assist with Millburn, Mountainside and Summit being the closest, or we request the mobilization of ambulances from around the state. Similarly, if they need our assistance, these Squads can call upon us through this system of "mutual aid."