Over the years we have sent out a number of newsletters to the residents of South Harrison Township .  Follow the links to see some of what was written.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

We have it available for township residents to borrow at no cost.  Electric hospital beds, shower seat, wheelchairs, crutches and more.  If you have a temporary need for this equipment, check with us.  We may have it available for your use.  If you have equipment and no longer need it, consider donating it to us, so it may benefit others.

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Special Needs

Do you, or a family member, have special needs that Emergency Management needs to address?  In case of extended storm caused road closures or power outages we need to know if someone needs immediate help, or needs to be checked on.  Do you have in-home medical equipment that needs constant electrical supply?  Do you need special medical procedures or medications requiring you to leave your home regardless of weather or road conditions?  Contact the township clerk at 609-769-3737.

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CALL 911 FIRST!!!

Don’t call your neighbor, or your adult kids, or your doctor’s answering service.  Call 911 first if you feel you need help.  EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) often respond directly to your home to start care as soon as possible.  In a cardiac arrest, survival depends on how quickly CPR is started and defibrillation is made available.  If CPR is started within 6-10 minutes, the chances of survival are greatly improved.

CPR - Learn it for Life.

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HOUSE NUMBERS

South Harrison instituted a house numbering system to support the enhanced 911 systems.  This renumbering may have been an inconvenience to some, but it is extremely important when there is an emergency.  The Police, the Ambulance and Fire companies can respond to your emergency faster when there is a consistent numbering system to help us find your home.

HAVE YOU PUT OUT YOUR NEW NUMBER YET?

Many residents have not.  The numbers are available FREE from the Township Clerk, all you have to do is pick them up.  For your family's safety, please post them as soon as possible.

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST

We are often asked how much we charge for our services.  Patients and family members find it hard to believe when told there is no cost.  We volunteer our time and efforts to provide a quality emergency response organization to South Harrison.  Underwood Hospital Paramedics, if they provide treatment, do charge for their services.

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We purchased a defibrillation unit last year - over $6,000.  

In two evenings (or a single day) you can learn American Heart Association adult and child CPR - You may save a life.

Our police carry oxygen and are trained in its use.  In an emergency, they are often the first to arrive and to start treatment.

To become an EMT requires 120 hours of instruction.

Most of our drivers have completed a defensive driving course.

Sterile water and saline solution, used for cleaning wounds, are considered pharmaceuticals - we need a prescription to buy them.

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ALS/BLS

We are a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit.  Paramedics, a key link in pre-hospital care, are Advanced Life Support (ALS) units.  They are specially trained to administer medications, start IVs, and provide emergency cardiac care.  They are dispatched to calls involving severe injury, unconsciousness, cardiac or respiratory distress, or seizures.  The Medics receive treatment instructions from the hospital by mobile phone or radio, treating the patient before and during transport to the hospital.  Stabilizing the patient at the scene may take a few minutes, but it provides the best opportunity for a full recovery.   You will receive a billing for ALS care from Underwood Memorial Hospital.   We do not charge for our services.

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LISTEN

You’ll be hearing more from us in the future.  Our town is growing quickly.   More homes means more cars and more kids on the streets.  To protect you, your family, and us from possible accidents, we’ll be using our siren more frequently than we have in the past when responding to emergencies.  We always stop at stop lights and signs, we don’t "race" to emergencies, but we need to let you know we are coming.  Our truck weighs over 11,000 pounds, and can’t stop like a car.  We need to be sure a child or animal will not run into the road or a car pull from a driveway.  We try to be quiet at night, but if we wake you, remember we are responding to your friend’s or neighbor’s call for help, just as we would respond to you call for help.

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Someone will always come!   We call it "MUTUAL AID".  If for any reason we cannot respond, for example, if we are on another emergency call, an ambulance from a neighboring town is dispatched to help.  We back up Mullica Hill, Swedesboro, Ferrell, and adjacent Salem County communities, just as they back us up.  All squads are having problems getting new members, and having enough members to respond at all times.  To improve responses, we also make "Composite Crews" - a truck and driver from one squad, and an EMT from another.  So while you may not see our truck pull into your drive if there is an emergency, rest assured that one will.

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No.  While we get a number of "critical" injuries, cardiac arrests, or other life threatening medical emergencies, most of our patients require short term emergency room care for fractures, minor injuries, or other medical concerns.  The emergencies you see on TV are selected from the thousands of emergencies that happen each day.

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$6,000 Life Assurance

We are a "D" unit.   "D" as in Defibrillation - the shock of life.  We recently purchased a Laerdal heartstart defibrillation unit.  Most of our EMTs are now trained and certified in its use.  The Over $6,000 cost of the unit and training is insignificant if we can save a life.  It could be yours, your spouses’ or a loved one’s.  We hope to never have to use it.

Early defibrillation can save lives, but many of those suffering a heart attack will not survive given the best care possible.  Early recognition of a heart problem, and seeking medical help as soon as possible, is your best option.

If you experience chest "discomfort" - its not always pain, it may be tightness, pressure, or pain in the chest and possibly radiating into your neck or arm - call 911 immediately.   Don’t drive yourself or a loved one to the hospital - what will you do if it gets worse in route?