Donations Help Long Valley First Responders Purchase New Equipment 

LONG VALLEY, NJ — At an awards ceremony, the Long Valley Junior Women's Club recently presented oversize checks to both the Washington Township Police Department and the first aid squad.

The Long Valley First Aid Squad was awarded $23,000 at the event.

According to Kate Nelson, the Long Valley Junior Women's Club co-president, the squad will be using their portion of the donations to purchase a new Jaws of Life device for the township.

The Jaws of Life tool provides firefighters and other emergency personnel with a significant advantage when performing vehicle extractions by allowing them to quickly cut open cars.

"The old one is no longer effective on many of the newer vehicles, so it has become obsolete and they are desperately in need of the new equipment to save time in emergency situations," Nelson said.

The Long Valley First Aid Squad has been providing all-volunteer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the past 60 years. Its volunteers provide emergency medical care, vehicle and technical rescue and other services.

On June 4, at 4 p.m., the squad will hold an open house at the first aid station, located at 70 E. Mill Road. Attendees at the open house will be able to watch live demonstrations, take a tour of the station and emergency vehicles and have the opportunity to ask questions.

"Whether you’re looking for a new hobby, want to serve your community, have an interest in medicine, or any other reason, we have a place for you," officials said.

At the award ceremony, the Washington Township Police Department received a donation of $11,500 from the junior women's club.

The police department is spending its donation allocations on computer equipment to support its participation in the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) program. According to Nelson, Long Valley police are the first in Morris County to take part in this program.

The ICAC Program was created in response to the growing number of children and teenagers who use the internet and other technology and the increased online activity of predators seeking unsupervised contact with potential underage children.

The program is currently comprised of 46 regional Task Force agencies and is funded by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

"We are thrilled to be able to assist them in piloting this new program for Morris County," Nelson said.