History Of Maywood First Aid Squad
AUTHOR:
Joseph C. Windony, Historian
Meetings for the purpose of formulating a first aid squad were held during the latter half of 1941 in the meeting room of Peerless Engine Company on West Hunter Avenue. These meetings were attended by interested members of the Maywood Police and Fire Departments and others from the Fire Police. (The majority already members of volunteer organizations). The idea took shape and it was decided every member would be required to complete an American Red Cross First Aid course.
During the early part of 1942 the group decided to purchase a used ambulance. Funds had to be raised which was accomplished by "popular" subscription. This proved to be the only fund raising campaign for twenty-five years. A door to door canvas was conducted and contributions of as little as twenty-five cents were received up to one of several hundred dollars. Local organization aided by holding card parties. The drive produced some $1900.00 if which $1500.00 was used to purchase a used ambulance from the city of New York. The ambulance, a 1938 Buick Flexible, had been involved in an accident, repaired, and was received in the Borough in June 1942. Operation of the squad continued under the Police Department. It is interesting to note that the first patient to use the ambulance was a former Mayor; however, opposition to the Squad still existed in the Borough's council.
The Hackensack Hospital finally abandoned ambulance service and Maywood's volunteer service came into its own. New members joined the ranks and the Mayor and Council finally agreed total over the Squad, along with its ambulance. The ordinance to regulate and control the Maywood First aid and emergency Squad was passed in October 1942 and the squad joined the ranks that comprise the volunteer services of the Borough of Maywood.
In 1943, a second vehicle was acquired. This was a packed flower coach obtained from a local mortician. The body was rebuilt and the vehicle took the form of an emergency truck. The interior was completely rebuilt by Squad members. In 1946 with shelves and cabinets being added along with a portable generator with powerful lights and
other emergency equipment.
As the years passed, many of the squad's former opponents now became its strongest supporters donating funds to further its efforts. Individual opposition from members of the Police and Fire departments gradually faded as the worth of the Squad trough their assistance at fire and accident scenes was demonstrated. Members, with training beyond that of first aid, for the giving of inoculations and such related assistance. Although several doctors credited Squad members with having saved lives of patients, some persisted that interns should accompany the ambulance on calls. This opposition gradually faded and many doctors now rely on Squad member to complete all preparation before removing the patients to the
hospital.
The Maywood First aid emergency Squad was the first Squad, in the state of new jersey, to carry blood plasma was used, and was probably responsible for saving the life of a woman who had been shot by a berserk neighbor in 1947, before she was removed to the hospital. Other towns, who had not yet provided themselves with ambulance service, frequently called on Maywood's Volunteers for assistance, which was provided in most cases.
Maywood first aid Squad was one of the first, to obtain portable iron lung, and although it was used only one on a blue baby, it preserved life sometimes after the run made to a Suffern, New York hospital.
In 1952, a second ambulance was purchased. This third vehicle now relegated the original
ambulance to stand by service; however, there were instances when both ambulances were required. A Chevrolet truck replaced the original emergency truck in 1958. The original Buick ambulance after many years of faithful service was retired and replaced by a Cadillac ambulance in 1962. This ambulance was tremendous improvement providing space for as many as five patients. This ambulance provided emergency service and the 1952 model was used mainly for transportation calls.
At a dinner dance held at Domyon's in Clifton, many of the past members of the Squad, as well as Borough officials were in attendance. The occasion was especially memorable to five 25 year members Joseph
Jablonski, Fred Wuhrl and George Ruth, who have since left the Squad, Ernest K.
Krohn, founder of the Squad who has passed on, leaving Joseph C. Widony as the last remaining of the Charter members. He too, had a coronary while fighting a fire in November 1966 and his career as "Santa" was interrupted and Ed MacDonald covered Christmas 1966. Joe snapped back, and has continued the role. Also in 1966, the Squad assisted in the movement of patients from St. Barnabas Hospital, Newark to a new location in Irvington.
1969 saw the beginning of a movement to obtain Plectrons for the membership to improve contacting members and somewhat curtail the use of the audible signal. All members received Plectrons during the February 1975. Plans were also made to renovate Squad headquarters. The plans developed to fruition, and the meeting rooms were fitted with a dropped ceiling, new lights and paneling. New furniture was acquired and the floor graced with a rug a long way from the original home of the Borough's Department of Public Works where its two trucks were originally garaged and limited shop facilities housed. That year though the effort of several Squad members, a backboard was donated to the Borough's swimming pool.
In November 1971, approval was given for the purchase of an inter-hospital radio communication system to be installed in 1972. In September a purchase order for a new Miller Meteor ambulance was approved and the ambulance was delivered on October 18th. During the year, additional equipment- Greene-Splints and Hare Traction was added to the equipment of the Squad. In December, an old picture of our Santacade graced the front cover of the Gold Cross the publication of the New Jersey State First Aid Council).
The first woman applicant, Julie Angillilo, applied for membership in 1973; however, she lost a first to Irene Fanning, RN who was accepted by the Borough Council in May. In June, and EKG machine was added to the growing list of equipment. A new ambulance, to replace a well-used 1962 Cadillac, was received in 1976. Probably the largest ambulance in the area, it gives ample room to work. It was even used to transport a patient on a full sized hospital bed from Hackensack Hospital to Bellevue Hospital in New York City. The replaced ambulance was donated to continue service with the American Red Cross Disaster Unit in Hackensack.
A major addition to the squad came in 1979 when Captain Chuck Parodi stated a youth squad to supplement the regular squad. Open to Maywood youth between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age, this junior cadet corps has proven to be worthy proving grounds for future members of the regular squad. All youth squad members are required to attend EMT classes at the Bergen County Emergency Medical Services Training Center. In time involved, this training is the equivalent to three full college courses. In addition, each young member undergoes additional training on the squad's equipment and procedures.
After their stint on the youth squad, these new regular members are fully trained for all emergencies ranging from strokes and heart attacks to emergency childbirth, broken bones, heavy bleeding, shock, diabetic crisis and the hundreds of injuries which follow auto and home accidents. Answering over 700 calls a year and now the squad answering over 100 calls per month. The squad has been assisted on about 15 percent of the calls by paid paramedics operating out of Hackensack medical Center and Holy Name Hospital. Now these days 75 percent of the calls by paid paramedics operating out of Hackensack medical Center, Holy Name Hospital and Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. The vehicles used by these paramedics are not ambulances, but carry equipment for use in advance procedures which had previously been administered only in emergency rooms. This cooperative effort provides patients with aid precious minutes sooner, and sooner does make a difference.
In 1980, Mary Magnabousco was elected the first female Captain to ever head the Squad. Following the trend in society, more and more women left home chores to involve themselves in the rock force, furthering their education, or involving themselves in town activities. Like surrounding town's squads, Maywood's Squad now has more female member than male members. As the cost of living in the New York metropolitan area continues to soar, more and more women are joining the work force which is slowly bringing about another change in the character of the Squad. Maintaining enough daytime volunteers is becoming more and more difficult. For the last several years, a major objective of the squad was to recruit more members and hence maintain its all-volunteer status. Unlike towns that border Maywood, the squad still has a volunteer daytime crew to respond to calls, unfortunately, it's only a matter of time when Maywood, too, will have to go paid during daytime hours to sustain a dwindling daytime force of volunteers.
In 1985, a Ford Horton Modular Ambulance replaced the Squad's last remaining Cadillac.
In 1987, all ambulance squad members throughout the state were" grand fathered
in" through legislation which allowed Squad personnel to ride ambulance an additional three year before requiring members to take and pass the federal EMT requirements allowing persons to ride and administer first aid in ambulances. Like squads throughout the state, Maywood lost members because of this state-administered examination in both hands on skills and three hour written test. In addition, every three years an EMT must rectify with the State of New Jersey by taking an additional
re-certification course of 48 hours. As this journal goes to press, another sweeping changes is taking place in certification standards of which the Maywood Squad is eagerly awaiting to see how it will affect its membership rolls. New Jersey is now holdout in a nation of paid professionals manning ambulances. If it weren't for so many political subdivisions of populated areas, the volunteer ambulance squad would have been gone from the scene years ago.
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