|
May 1948
The Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc. was incorporated with nine charter members and one ambulance. The ambulances and members were housed at the old Civic Center, on the corner of The Esplanade and Central Avenue (now the location of Nellie K. Parker Elementary School).
Originally, the Corps operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As time progressed, the amount of emergency calls increased. The Corps found it more difficult to get volunteers for the daytime shifts. At that time, the Hackensack Fire Department supplemented the ambulance service during daytime hours, Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with the volunteers continuing to provide nighttime and weekend service.
Mid- 1960s
The amount of emergency calls increased so much that the Corps had to buy three ambulances and recruit more volunteers so that they could serve the city effectively.
February 14, 1974
The Ambulance Corps volunteers joined forces with Hackensack Hospital and formed a cardiac unit, which was comprised of a nurse, doctor, and a volunteer Ambulance Corps member. Hackensack Ford donated a 1973 white station wagon that was branded "Heart Rescue Team". The volunteer driver and ambulance were stationed at Hackensack University Medical Center, picking up the doctor and nurse from the Emergency Room when a "CODE 41" was paged. This led to the creation of the Medical Center's Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic Unit, which has become one of the most highly recognized paramedic units in the state.
July 1976
The Ambulance Corps relocated from Central Avenue to its present location in the City complex, facing the railway with direct egress to both State Street and Union Street.
June 1994, FIFA World Cup, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps provided stand-by coverage for the seven World Cup matches held at Giants Stadium, including the semifinal between Italy and Bulgaria.
September 2001, Lower Manhattan, New York, NY: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps was dispatched to the World Trade Center vicinity to assist in patient care as buildings and debris came down.
September 15, 2008
Emergency medical communications are now handled by MICCOM (Northern New Jersey Mobile Intensive Care Communications). (MICCOM is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and APCO as a Public Safety Communications Center.) All requests for emergency medical services are first received by the Hackensack Police Department's 9-1-1 center, then directed to MICCOM, which dispatches the nearest EMS unit based on current Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies. MICCOM is responsible for dispatching ambulance and paramedic units in Bergen County, Passaic County, and parts of Morris County. (In 2008, MICCOM received approximately 75,000 requests for EMS services in the region.) The Communications Center provides ALS/BLS dispatching, EMD education, 9-1-1 call screening and life saving pre-arrival instructions to callers (e.g. CPR, bleeding control) while the ambulance is responding. This technology helps the Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps respond more quickly and accurately.
January 2009, Weehawken, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps was dispatched to Weehawken to assist in the treatment and transportation of passengers of US Airways flight 1549, which successfully landed in the Hudson River six minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.
January 01, 2010
The Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps swore in Frank Garrett as its first Chief and Obed Fountoukis as its first Deputy Chief. Having previously been lead by a captain, the Corps is now lead by an elected Chief, Deputy Chief, and two Captains, followed by appointed Lieutenants.
July 2010, Hackensack, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps established EMS branch command at the collapse of the parking garage at 310 Prospect Avenue, and assisted in the evacuation of residents.
November 2010, Hackensack, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Hackensack Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office worked together in the execution of two search warrants.
December 2010, Hackensack, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps, working in coordination with Hackensack Police, Bergen County Police, Bergen County SWAT, Bergen County Sherriff, NJ State Police, and US Marshals, provided standby assistance when an escaped inmate who had barricaded himself in an apartment on Polifly Road fired as many as 10 shots as US Marshals and HPD officers.
December 2010, Hackensack, NJ: Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded to a mutual aid request by FDNY EMS and provided 12 hours of emergency medical service, covering the Bedford/Stuyvesant and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, NY responding to 9-1-1 calls.
|
