WHAT IF NO ONE ANSWERED YOUR CALL!

1. WHAT IF NO ONE ANSWERED YOUR CALL! RAMTOWN FIRST AID SQUAD

2. SOMETHING TO PONDER… WHAT IFYOU DIALED 911 TO REQUEST HELP AND NO ONE CAME – IT COULD BE YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORS OR YOU WHO SUFFERS. AS A CHILD, ADULTS MADE US FEEL SAFE AND PROTECTED – IN YOUR MIND, DANGER DID NOT EXIST. NOW THAT YOU ARE AN ADULT, ITS YOUR TURN TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL SAFE.

3. RAMTOWN FIRST AID SQUAD IS EXPERIENCING A SHORTAGE OF FIRST AID VOLUNTEERS. • THERE ARE TWO RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS • PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT WE NEED HELP • NOT KNOWING WHO TO CONTACT TO OFFER AND VOLUNTEER

5. WHY SHOULD I VOLUNTEER? • RFAS IS THE COMMUNITYS FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. • NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS. • THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE REASONS YOU MAY WANT TO DONATE YOUR TIME.

6. WHAT ABOUT COMMITMENTS? • RFAS IS IN NEED OF AND IS RECRUITING NEW EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS (EMTS). VOLUNTEERISM NATIONWIDE HAS FALLEN TO AN ALL-TIME-LOW. TWO REASONS TOP THE LIST…. • FAMILY ACTIVITIES • CAREERS WE UNDERSTAND THIS AND WILL WORK WITH YOU TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE YOU NEED IN YOUR LIVES.

7. PERKS FOR VOLUNTEERS • There is a $2,400.00 per year College Tuition Credit Program that was passed in 1998. Currently, Howell does not participate, but there has been correspondence to the Council requesting we start providing this assistance. • Senator Singer and Assemblyman Malone are sponsoring incentives to volunteers by means of income tax deductions of $5000.00 and a Low Interest Mortgage Program for First Aid Volunteers. Letters have been written and they feel confident this legislation will pass.

8. HOWELL HAS 62 SQUARE MILES OF LAND. 50,000 PLUS RESIDENTS CALL HOWELL THEIR HOME. WE ARE GETTING NEW DEVELOPMENTS APPROVED EVERY DAY. THE GROWTH IN HOWELL HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST IN FIRST AID CALLS.

9. How many volunteers does it take? ANY CALL TO 911 REQUIRES AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE TO HELP. ~~~~~~~~ TWO EMT’S AND A DRIVER

10. RAMTOWN FIRST AID SQUAD HAS ONLY 7-8 REGULAR MEMBERS THAT ANSWER CALLS ON A DAILY BASIS. THE FIRE COMPANY ASSISTS US WITH THE CALLS – WE USE THEM AS FIRST RESPONDERS.

11. YOU CAN BECOME A LIFE SAVER IN A FEW SHORT MONTHS. TRAINING IS PAID BY THE STATE. ALL MEMBERS ARE HERE TO ASSIST YOU THRU THE TRAINING PROCESS.

12. COMMON QUESTIONS WHAT ARE OTHER BENEFITS TO VOLUNTEERING: NEW FRIENDSHIPS – MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS. LOSAP RETIREMENT PROGRAM. REDUCTION OF TOWN FEES. LEARN NEW SKILLS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD. SELF SATISFACTION YOU HELPED SOMEONE.

13. COMMON QUESTIONS • WHAT ARE THE HOURS? RFAS IS ON DUTY 24/7 DUTY CREW IS 8PM – 5AM HOWELL JUST IMPLEMENTED A DAYTIME PAID RESPONSE TEAM FROM 6AM TO 5PM, MONDAY THRU SATURDAY. THEY ARE USED TO SUPPLEMENT OUR SQUADS WHEN NO ONE “CAN ANSWER THE CALL”.

14. DAYTIME RESPONDERS ARE HARD TO FIND!! WE PROVIDE COVERAGE FROM 8PM TO 5AM. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PICK 1-2 DUTY NIGHTS. YOU ARE ASKED TO RESPOND ANY CALLS IF THEY ARE ON YOUR DUTY NIGHT, BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO RIDE ANY OTHER CALLS.

16. COMMON QUESTIONS WHERE IS THE SERVICE PERFORMED? RIGHT IN RAMTOWN…WE NEVER ASK YOU TO GO TOO FAR, BUT THERE ARE 62 SQUARE MILES TO COVER BETWEEN THE TWO OTHER SQUADS (HOWELL AND FARMINGDALE) AND US. IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME TO VOLUNTEER, WE CAN ASSIST THE OTHER SQUADS WHEN THEY ARE BUSY ALSO.

17. WHO DO I REPORT TO?

18. WHO WILL I WORK WITH? ACTIVE and PROBATIONARY MEMBERS Dawn Concilio Ron Roskowski Heather Kunz Tom Wilkos Don Calabrese Merle Charters Bob Nichols Rich Stallings

19. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? EMTS ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE TRAINED TO GIVE OXYGEN, DO CPR, USE A DEFIBRILLATOR, APPLY SPLINTS AND BANDAGES, CONTROL BLEEDING AND HANDLE FRACTURES. PARAMEDICS (MONOC) ARE PAID AND CAN PROVIDE MORE COMPLEX SERVICES SUCH AS STARTING IV’S AND ADMINISTERING DRUGS.

20. EVEN IF YOU DON’T GET A THANK YOU, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING GOOD FOR SOMEONE AND THE COMMUNITY. PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING THE TIME TO VOLUNTEER YOUR SPARE TIME TO RAMTOWN FIRST AID SQUAD.