Chester First Aid Squad Costs For PPE, Sanitizing Equipment Rises

CHESTER, NJ — the costs to keep rescue squad members and the patients they transport has risen over 30 percent since the pandemic start.

The Chester First Aid Squad continues to serve the Chester Borough and Township Communities as a fully-volunteer and non-profit group, with tax dollars a small portion of offsetting expenses.

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The group, which relies on donations from the community, is running its annual fund drive, specifically earmarked toward life-saving equipment, medical supplies, ambulance maintenance and operating expenses, detailed in a mailer residents in both towns will see soon.

“Like 2020, 2021 has been a challenging year for our squad due to COVID-19,” the mailer reads. “Chester First Aid Squad has continued to rise to the challenge by responding to the needs of our community, while ensuring compliance with strict state and medical control policies, including decontamination processes and increased training on proper safety procedures.”

Among some of the purchases in the pandemic has been both personal protective equipment or “PPE” and sanitizing equipment, “to keep our squad members and patients safe.”

“In order to fully fund our ongoing operations and continuous need for PPE and sanitizing equipment, we rely heavily on private donations and the generous support from our community,” they wrote.

Some quick facts about the First Aid Squad:

• The First Aid Squad started as part of the Chester Volunteer Fire Department in 1945 and became independent in 1987.
• All of the volunteers are trained EMTs, EMRs and drivers
• They are on call weeknights from 7 p.m. to 5:45 a.m. and have 24-hour weekend coverage.
• Atlantic Mobile Health coordinates coverage Mondays through Thursdays 5:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• In 2020, over 3,000 volunteer hours and 24,000 miles were logged during 420 calls.
• The First Aid Squad covers about 31-square miles and over 9,400 residents.

The mailer is one way to give, by cash or check payable to Chester First Aid Squad.

PayPal donations are additionally accepted at www.chesterfirstaid.org/donate.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.